Telangana: Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan to visit flood-hit Khammam today

Hyderabad, Sep 6 (IANS) Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan will undertake an aerial survey of the flood-hit areas in Khammam district of Telangana on Friday.

Union Minister Chouhan will be accompanied by Union Minister of State for Home, Bandi Sanjay, during the aerial survey from 9 a.m. to 2.30 p.m.

Later, they will hold a review meeting with the officials.

The state government officials will brief Union Minister Chouhan about the losses due to recent heavy rains and floods.

The Union Agriculture Minister will visit Khammam, Madhira and Paleru Assembly constituencies. He will also see a few agriculture fields to get first-hand information about crop losses.

Union Minister Chouhan will also interact with farmers from a village in Kasumanchi mandal to know about their problems.

A team of officials from the Union Agriculture Ministry will accompany Union Minister Chouhan on his visit to flood-affected areas. The team will hold meetings with officials of the state government to assess crop damage.

Union Minister Chouhan had on Thursday conducted an aerial survey of flood-hit areas of Vijayawada in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh.

Accompanied by Andhra Pradesh’s Information Technology Minister Nara Lokesh, he had surveyed various parts of the flood-affected city in a helicopter.

Addressing media persons along with Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu after the survey, he said that crops in about 1.8 lakh hectares were destroyed and about two lakh farmers were affected.

He assured the farmers that the state and the Central governments would work together to help them.

The Union Minister observed that an unprecedented 40 cm of rainfall lashed the city in just two days, triggering floods.

He said breaches to Budameru Rivulet aggravated the crisis and blamed illegal mining along the rivulet for the breaches.

The Union Agriculture Minister also visited Prakasam Barrage, where a few boats struck one of the sluice gates, damaging a concrete beam.

He agreed with CM Chandrababu Naidu that measures should be taken to strengthen the barrage.

CM Naidu mentioned the barrage was designed 100 years ago to handle a discharge of a maximum of nearly 12 lakh cusecs.

Union Minister Chouhan stressed the need for long-term planning to tackle more severe floods in the future.

Before embarking on the visit to the Telugu states, Union Minister Chouhan assured them of all help.

“The Central government is keeping an eye on the situation. In this hour of crisis, the Central government stands fully with the people of the flood-affected areas of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana and will provide all possible help to them in overcoming the crisis,” the Union Minister said.

–IANS

ms/khz