NALGONDA: Agriculture minister Tummala Nageswara Rao on Saturday directed officials to take coordinated precautionary measures to prevent loss of life and property in the event of floods in the Godavari River.
At a district-level review meeting on flood preparedness held at the Integrated District Collectorate Complex in Kothagudem, he said that despite a rainfall deficit due to the El Niño effect, there remains a possibility of extremely heavy rains in some areas, necessitating vigilance across departments.
He instructed officials to prepare plans based on past experience and use modern technology to mitigate risks. He called for intensified sanitation measures in agency areas to prevent disease outbreaks following floods and asked the medical department to keep essential medicines ready. The irrigation department was directed to keep pumping systems ready to prevent floodwaters from entering Bhadrachalam town and to ensure quick drainage of rainwater into the river.
The minister stressed the need to maintain essential services such as drinking water and healthcare. He also asked officials to create awareness among tribal farmers on horticulture crops and scientific use of fertilisers, particularly urea. He reviewed the progress of embankment works along the Bhadrachalam–Kunavaram road and flagged Burgampadu and Ashwapuram as vulnerable areas.
District collector Ankit said preparedness measures have been initiated, including the establishment of a District Emergency Operations Centre and mandal-level centres at tahsildar offices. Rehabilitation centres have been identified in flood-prone areas with arrangements for medical care, sanitation, drinking water, electricity and irrigation.
District superintendent of police Rohit Raju, Bhadrachalam MLA Tellam Venkatrao, Pinapaka MLA Payam Venkateswarlu, Wyra MLA Ramadasu Naik and Kothagudem Municipal Corporation mayor Moodu Ganesh attended the meeting.
The review focused on preparedness and inter-departmental coordination ahead of the monsoon.
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