- By Nidhi Giri
- Tue, 03 Sep 2024 12:23 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Jr NTR on Tuesday announced a donation of Rs 50 lakh each to the Chief Minister Relief Funds of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. At least 35 people have been killed, and over 1,000 have been rendered homeless in two states as torrential rainfall continues to wreak havoc in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. The continued heavy downpour over the past three days has battered roads and rail tracks, submerged thousands of acres of crops and left people scrambling for essentials, as agencies engaged in relief and rescue operations and the chief ministers of the two states stepped up efforts to tackle the situation.
Making the announcement on social media X, NTR wrote, “I am deeply saddened by the recent floods in two Telugu states. I pray to God that Telugu people recover from this calamity soon.”
“On my part, I am announcing a donation of Rs 50 lakh each to the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana Governments to help the measures taken by the Governments of the two Telugu States for relief from the flood disaster,” he added.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted more rainfall in some parts of both the states on Tuesday.
The MeT office said the state received more heavy rains than normal and also predicted heavy rains in Adilabad, Nizamabad and Nirmal districts on Tuesday. Heavy rain is also very likely to occur at isolated places in Komaram Bheem Asifabad, Jagtial, Sangareddy, Medak and Kamareddy districts till 8.30 am on Tuesday, the weather body said.
Telangana CM Revanth Reddy-led state government has estimated a damage of over Rs 5000 Crore and demanded an immediate central assistance of Rs 2000 Crores. State information technology and industries minister D Sridhar Babu told reporters that the actual extent of damage was being estimated and the government would soon come out with full details.
In view of the forecast, chief minister Reddy directed the collectors and other officials of these districts to be alert and shift the people in low-lying areas to relief camps, if necessary.
Reddy, who held a meeting with officials in Hyderabad earlier in the day, also urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit the rain-hit areas and to declare the floods as a national calamity. In a statement, he announced a compensation of ₹5 lakh for the kin of each of the deceased. While 16 deaths were confirmed, five people continued to remain missing at the time of filing this report.
Reddy, in the statement, said the state government will submit a comprehensive report of the flood damage to the Centre and request Modi to visit the flood-hit areas of Nalgonda, Warangal and Khammam besides declaring the situation as national calamity. He asked chief secretary Santhi Kumari to write a letter to the Prime Minister in this regard.
Meanwhile, chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu visited the flood-hit areas and interacted with the affected people. “Visited flood-affected areas in Vijayawada for the second day. I personally monitored the relief being extended to flood victims...,” he said on X, adding: “Safety of the people is our responsibility. We are putting in all efforts to relieve them as soon as possible from this unexpected calamity.”