Over 20,000 people shifted to relief camps as heavy rains pound Telangana

More than 20,000 people have been shifted to relief camps at different places in Telangana as officials on Thursday geared up to deal with rising water levels in the Godavari river at Bhadrachalam town in the state.

Several localities in Bhadradri-Kothagudem and other districts in the state remained inundated after heavy rainfall.

An official release said 19,071 people have been shifted to 223 camps in the southern state.

In Nirmal district, a woman was swept away by a rivulet on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar held meetings with officials here on Thursday to review the situation arising out of incessant rains in the state, with special focus on Mulugu, Bhupalpally and Bhadradri-Kothagudem districts as the Godavari river was flowing vigorously there.

Transport Minister P Ajay Kumar, who also attended the meeting, said additional contingency plans should be formulated to step up rescue and relief measures in view of the water level in Godavari reaching "alarming levels".

Citing Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao's directives, Kumar said utmost priority should be given to preventing loss of human life.

He directed that all the low-lying areas which are likely to face submergence have to be identified and the residents there shifted to relief camps.

He also asked collectors to procure JCBs, generators, sandbags and others in additional quantities and place them strategically.

The senior official told the collectors to be on high alert and take all measures to provide relief to the people.

In Bhadradri-Kothagudem district, the water level in Godavari river was 63.50 ft at 10 pm on Thursday, well above the third warning level of 53 ft.

As many as 10,535 people from 62 villages in the district have been shifted to relief camps.

"Residents of low-lying areas should move to relief camps as the water level in Godavari river is likely to reach 70 ft by Friday," district collector Anudeep said.

As a precautionary measure, prohibitory orders under Section 144 have been imposed to prevent people from venturing out in Bhadrachalam and Burgampadu mandals, district officials said.

They had also said vehicular traffic would not be allowed on the bridge across Godavari river at Bhadrachalam from 5 pm on Thursday.

Meanwhile, official sources said Kaleswaram project pump houses at Kannepalli and Annaram faced inundation and that there need not be anxiety over it as they can be made functional soon.

In its weather warnings, issued at 1 pm on Thursday, the MeT office here said heavy to very heavy rain is very likely to occur at isolated places in Adilabad, Kumuram Bheem Asifabad, Mancherial, and other districts till 8.30 am on July 15.

"Heavy rain is very likely to occur at isolated places in Nirmal, Nizamabad, Suryapet and others during 0830 hours of July 15 to 0830 hours of July 16," it said.

More than 10 people have died in various rain-related incidents like wall collapse and electrocution, an official said on Wednesday.