Repair, restoration work will be on a war-footing: Ponguleti

Minister for Revenue Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy has directed the officials to take up restoration works on a war footing in flood-hit areas.
The Minister on the one hand was visiting the flood-hit areas of his Palair constituency in the district and on the other hand, reviewing the situation with the District Collectors over telephone on the floods and rain situation in the state.
He undertook a whirlwind tour of Khammam rural, Tirumalayapalemmandals. He spoke with the officials of the Disaster Management Department in Hyderabad alerted them and issued instructions to them.
He asked the officials to undertake relief measures. He enquired about the complaints received by the control room in the Disaster Management Department and action taken on them.  He asked them to assess the loss of crops and properties and get the necessary information from districts.
According to information received so far, a total of 67,000 people, including 49,000 alone in Khammam district, were affected in 117 villages due to floods. So far, the government set up 133 rehabilitation centres and shifted 10,538 persons there. Because of the precautions taken by the government, lives of 3,039 could be saved, the Minister said.
The floods left 51 road bridges, 249 culverts, 166 tanks damaged and 13,342 livestock dead.
He instructed the officials to provide food and drinking water to flood-affected places without hiccups. Food should be provided to them on time to eliminate the need to wait for the flood victims.
The real challenge is ahead with the receding of the floods, he said, asking the authorities to undertake relief measures. He asked them to pay special attention to senior citizens, pregnant women, children and physically challenged people. He asked the officials to maintain alertness for some more days to come. He asked them to extend support to the people in difficulties in the same fashion for some more days. He directed them to take accelerated measures to restore normalcy in the affected areas. Measures should be initiated to prevent outbreaks of epidemics in the affected areas because of the unhygienic conditions.