Even before two Telugu states send their preliminary reports on floods damage losses, the Centre has announced Rs 3,448 crore as immediate financial assistance.
Both Andhra Pradesh and Telangana have been severely affected by floods due to heavy rains. The floods have especially affected Vijayawada, NTR and Eluru districts of AP, while Khammam, Mahabubabad, Mulugu and Kamareddy districts of Telangana.
Tens of lives were lost in the floods. Thousands of acres of crops were damaged. Property worth hundreds of crores of rupees was damaged. Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan visited flood affected areas in Telugu states for two days. On Thursday and Friday, he toured the flood affected areas of both the states.
He had consultations with two chief ministers- Chandrababu Naidu and Revanth Reddy and assured that the center will stand by them. He said soon central teams will visit two states for field study and immediately the center will release its assistance.
But, surprisingly even before he left Telugu states, the Center announced immediate assistance. Meanwhile, the Home Department tweeted on social media X on Friday about the flood aid provided to the Telugu states stating that the Union Home Department has already stepped in and participated in the relief efforts.
It said that on the orders of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, relief measures have been provided in the flood affected areas and providing full support to the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. It revealed that a team of central experts has been sent to Vijayawada to assess flood management, reservoir management, dam safety and recommend immediate relief from the flood.
An inter-ministerial central team has been formed under the Home Department to assess the damage caused by the floods and visit the affected areas in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. The Union Home Ministry announced that 26 teams of NTRF, 8 helicopters of the Air Force, 3 helicopters of the Navy and one Dornier aircraft were involved in the flood-affected areas of Andhra Pradesh.
There are 7 NDRF teams and 2 Air Force units for relief and rehabilitation operations in Telangana. The Union Home Ministry also said that NDRF teams have rescued 350 people in Andhra Pradesh and shifted 15,000 people to safe places, while in Telangana 68 people were rescued and 3200 people were shifted to safe places.