Alertness Helped Prevent Major Damage during Cyclone: Bhatti
Bhatti instructed all district collectors to utilize State Disaster Relief Fund (SDRF) and treasury funds for relief and rehabilitation measures
Hyderabad: Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka Mallu instructed all district collectors to utilize State Disaster Relief Fund (SDRF) and treasury funds for relief and rehabilitation measures.
In a video conference held in view of the cyclone situation, he directed them to get the expenditure ratified within 30 days, assuring that there would be no financial constraints for the required works.
The Deputy Chief Minister said that due to Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and the entire Cabinet issuing an alert 48 hours in advance, and with the swift and coordinated response of the government machinery, the State was able to avert loss of lives and large-scale property damage.
He directed the district Collectors and officials to remain on high alert for the next 24 hours and carry out relief and rehabilitation activities as per the cyclone manual. He observed that the cyclone’s impact was unfortunate — as it passed from Krishna district through Nalgonda and Khammam, it caused difficult conditions across north Telangana.
The Deputy Chief Minister appreciated the proactive efforts of officials who covered cotton crops with tarpaulin sheets and shifted them into warehouses, thereby saving the cotton produce from getting soaked.
He stated that the entire Electricity department — from northern to southern CMDs — actively participated in cyclone relief operations. Despite the severity of the storm, there were no major power outages, as mobile repair vans and dedicated staff continuously worked to restore power connections.
Providing detailed updates, the Deputy Chief Minister said that out of the 11 damaged 33/11 kV substations, seven have already been restored, and the remaining four will be restored within a few hours. Out of 101 damaged 33 kV lines, 96 have already been restored, and the remaining five will be restored by today. Among 237 damaged 11 kV lines, 227 have already been repaired.
Regarding transformers, 171 Distribution Transformers (DTRs) were damaged — 49 have already been restored, and the remaining 122 will be repaired within a few hours. Out of 638 damaged electricity poles, 304 have already been replaced, and the remaining 334 will be restored shortly, he said.