Residents wade through a flood road near Daba Kotla Centre in Vijayawada on September 6, 2024.
| Photo Credit: K.V.S. Giri
An Inter-Ministerial Central Team (ICMT) will soon visit the flood-affected areas in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana for making an on-the-spot assessment of the damage, said a Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) official on Friday.
The Centre has been extending all requisite and timely assistance to Andhra Pradesh and Telangana for flood relief, Sanjeev Kumar Jindal, Additional Secretary, MHA said.
He stated that 26 teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), eight helicopters of the Indian Air Force (IAF), and three helicopters and one Dornier aircraft of the Indian Navy have been mobilised in Andhra Pradesh for rescue and relief operations.
Seven teams of the NDRF and two IAF helicopters have also been mobilised in Telangana, he added.
“The Central government has been extending all the requisite and timely assistance to the State governments of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana in the relief and rescue efforts,” Mr. Jindal said.
He said on the night of September 1, as floodwaters entered many areas, additional NDRF teams and IAF helicopters were mobilised to assist the State governments in relief and rescue efforts following a directive of Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
“On the directions of the Home Minister, a Central team of experts has been deputed for Vijayawada [Andhra Pradesh] to make an on-the-spot assessment of flood management, reservoir management, issues of dam safety and to make recommendations on immediate relief from the flood,” he said.
The NDRF teams, so far, have rescued 350 people and evacuated about 15,000 others in Andhra Pradesh while in Telangana, they have rescued 68 people and evacuated about 3,200 others.
The Additional Secretary said the IMCT will visit the flood-affected areas in both the States soon for making an on-the-spot assessment of the damage.
The Central team will make its recommendations to the MHA for additional financial assistance from the National Disaster Response Fund.
The IAF and Navy helicopters have carried out 65 sorties and around 71,000 kg of food and relief material have been dropped for affected population in Andhra Pradesh, he added.
Published – September 06, 2024 10:51 pm IST
