Misleading claims can undermine frontline staff morale: Nagi Reddy
Hyderabad: The fire department is sensitive to the urgency and suffering of victims during disasters. However, due to the efforts of all the officers and staff of fire department, and district administration, no life was lost in colonies in Kamareddy district during torrential rains in the last two days.
The department said this while responding to a video of a person who claimed that the Fire department Director-General Y Nagi Reddy did not respond properly when a resident from a flood affected area called him seeking help. The video went viral on social media on Thursday.
In a clarification, the department said that over the past 48 hours, six districts of Telangana — Kamareddy, Medak, Nizamabad, Nirmal, Rajanna Siricilla, and Siddipet —witnessed severe flooding caused by incessant and extremely heavy rains. The swelling of rivers, streams, and irrigation tanks, coupled with backwaters from projects and breaches of tanks, led to the inundation of low-lying areas, agricultural fields, and residential colonies.
Road and bridge connectivity was severely disrupted, hampering immediate access to the affected areas.
In this challenging situation, the Fire department deployed its maximum available resources to safeguard lives and property. As many as 1,646 flood-affected victims belonging to various walks of life — including farmers, shepherds, students, residents, officials, children, elderly persons, pregnant women, and livestock — were rescued in 31 major operations across the six districts.
Fire personnel braved extreme conditions, including darkness and heavy floodwaters, to reach stranded victims. Notably, the rescue team continued operations up to 11.30 pm on Wednesday at GR Colony and surrounding areas of Kamareddy town, where flood levels were particularly high.
“I express my pride and appreciation for the courage, dedication, and selfless service of our fire personnel, who risked their lives to protect the citizens of Telangana,” Nagi Reddy said.
Explaining the challenges faced during the rescue operation, he said during operations, some Light Rescue Vehicles (LRVs) and Inflatable Rubber Boats (IRBs) sustained partial damages, while certain equipment including life buoys and life jackets were completely damaged.
At Kamareddy town, two firemen were momentarily washed away along with their rescue vehicle but survived owing to their professional training and swift response. “I personally visited GR Colony, Housing Board Colony, and nearby flood-affected areas in Kamareddy town to oversee the operations. All rescue activities in these colonies were successfully concluded by Thursday noon. Importantly, no lives were lost in these colonies due to the combined efforts of the Fire department and district administration,” he said.
“It has come to notice that a particular individual has attempted to misrepresent the efforts of the Fire department after operations had already been completed. This individual, who was located on the first floor of an apartment building in Kamareddy, refused evacuation when fire crews reached him between 11.30 and 11.45 pm on Wednesday, despite the risks involved. At the same time, three of his neighbors were rescued by our personnel,” he said.
Subsequently, this individual engaged in continuous calls to senior officers, disrupting ongoing priority-based rescue efforts, as reported by RFO Sudhakar, the officer in charge of operations at Kamareddy. The fire department remains sensitive to the suffering and urgency of all disaster victims and prioritizes rescues strictly on the basis of immediacy, risk, and feasibility. “Our record during this operation clearly demonstrates our commitment — every life in these colonies was safeguarded,” he added.
“We request the public to cooperate with rescue teams during such emergencies and to extend full support by following instructions of the personnel on the ground. False or misleading claims can undermine the morale of frontline staff and distract resources from genuine life-saving operations,” he said.
