Hyderabad floods not as severe as last year's Chennai floods: Telangana CM
Hyderabad: Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao said the flood fury in Hyderabad was not as severe as was being projected, particularly when compared to Chennai which reeled under floods for 21 days.
Mr Rao said the floods did not surprise him as he had expected it as a person having complete understanding of the conditions due to indiscriminate nala encroachments. The same was announced at the GHMC election campaign meeting which he addressed in Parade Grounds, Secunderabad in January, he said.
He said there was no major loss of life or damage to property and not even 10 per cent of the roads were damaged. Speaking to the media, Mr Rao said the inundation was confined to 3-4 colonies but was blown out of proportion by the media. He reiterated that the government was committed to developing Hyderabad as a global city by ensuring a Rs 20,000-crore loan to GHMC soon, by the state standing as guarantor.
He said Rs 400-crore would be given to the GHMC to repair roads after the rains receded. This will offer a temporary solution. “When we talk about global city, some people mock us. We are not saying that we will make a global city overnight or in a day or two. If anyone speaks like that, they are fools. This requires a lot of time, systematic planning and integrated approach. It will take 5-6 years,” he said.
He blamed the “established contractors set up’’ at GHMC for the bad roads in city. “For decades, the same contractors are doing road works. This system was set up by our previous rulers. We will dismantle this system and encourage reputed contractors to take up works,” he said.
“Like Mission Bhagiratha, where we awarded contracts to big contractors and entrusted the maintenance and operational responsibility for 10 years at their own cost, the roads will be handed over to contractors who will maintain them for 3-5 years at their own cost,” he said.
He said Hyderabad had witnessed 448 per cent excess rainfall in Sep-tember. When a rain of this magnitude comes, problems would be there. “Due to the good work done by GHMC and MAUD staff, who are touring rain-affected areas even after midnight, we could avert loss to life and property. They have demolished 400-plus buildings and evacuated people. Leave aside loss of life, there was not an instance of an animal dying due to the floods. I request the media not to panic or misguide people by blowing the issue out of proportion or continuing to show the same visuals on TV again and again,” Mr Rao said. He said the government would pay to install new electricity meters that were damaged by water.
