The Governor praised the efforts of Red Cross volunteers who jumped into action following an appeal she made via video-conferencing.
The swollen Godavari river after incessant monsoon rains in Telangana. (Supplied)
Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan, who visited the rain-affected Warangal on Wednesday, 2 August, took the state government to task for laxity in providing relief to the victims of the recent rains.
After visiting areas in the Warangal and Hanumakonda districts devastated by rains and the concomitant floods, the Governor said that she felt pained to see human misery all around. She spent considerable time listening to the victims’ travails.
In Hanumakonda, the Governor visited the victims in Jawahar Nagar and Nayeem Nagar, who are still picking up pieces of their lives. She handed over health and hygiene kits to residents at a makeshift camp.
She also went around Hunter Road in Warangal, which remained underwater for days together. She also listened to the horror stories narrated by the residents of NTR Nagar and NN Nagar.
Warangal: Laknavaram Suspension Bridge submerged during the rains. (Supplied)
The Governor also visited Bhadrakali Lake, which overflowed at a time when Warangal was recovering from the incessant battering of rain. It took a while before the government could plug the breach.
After her visit, she said that though Red Cross volunteers did their best, this was the time for the state government to swing into action and alleviate the people’s misery as the floods had caused untold suffering to them and destroyed their property.
The Governor asked the state government to think of long-term measures to prevent future flooding.
“How long should the people of Telangana suffer like this? We may not be able to prevent rains but we can prevent the damage that it might cause,” she said.
She referred to the collapse of the bridge in Jawahar Nagar and said that the people had told her that they had made representations to the government to repair the bridge, which was already in a dilapidated shape. But it appears no attention was paid, she said.
The Governor praised the efforts of the Red Cross volunteers who went into action when she made an appeal to them via video-conferencing on Tuesday.
“They have done an exemplary service,” said the Governor, adding that it should instead have been the government playing a bigger role.
“This is not to discredit the officials without whose effort the relief would not have reached the victims,” she said.
She stressed that the government should bear in mind that planning to prevent or minimise the effect of calamity is key.
“Map the areas likely to be affected by the rains and take measures in advance. Let the government look for causes of flooding and address them,” she said.
From the tone of her voice, it appeared that she was not very impressed by the government’s response to the people’s cries for help.
She appeared more instructive to the government while voicing her opinion on dealing with natural calamities.
Heavy rains pounded 10 districts of Telangana relentlessly recently, claiming the lives of 41 people and rendering thousands homeless and deprived of their livelihood.
In the erstwhile Warangal district, Moranchapalli was the most affected as water from the nearby lake surged into their abodes at shoulder height, and swept away people as well as their household articles, leaving the survivors in a state of shock.
When waters invaded the village, several people climbed to the top of trees and stayed there until rescue helicopters picked them up. Several others went to the rooftops of their houses and waited for the neverending flow of gushing waters to abate.
They heaved a sigh of relief when the relief teams reached out to them. The state Cabinet, which met on Monday, released ₹500 crore for immediate relief measures and asked the officials to restore the road infrastructure on a war footing.
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