done: arun
Hyderabad: After experiencing severe damage during the 2024 monsoon, Telangana has been granted Rs 231 crore by the Centre under the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) to assist with recovery efforts. The state, particularly Mulugu and Khammam districts, faced widespread inundation and significant losses to properties and crops during the floods in Aug and Sept.
While the Telangana govt initially estimated the damage at Rs 10,300 crore, the Centre’s financial assistance falls well short, covering less than 3 per cent of the state’s request. The high-level committee, led by Union home minister Amit Shah, sanctioned a total of Rs 1,554 crore in additional relief for five states affected by natural disasters, including Telangana.
However, this assistance is subject to an adjustment of 50% from the opening balance of the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) available for the year 2025-26.
The Centre clarified that this Rs 231 crore is above the regular funds allocated under the SDRF. In the 2024-25 financial year, the central govt released Rs 18,322 crore to 27 states in SDRF and Rs 4,808 crore from NDRF to 18 states, Rs 2,208 crore from the State Disaster Mitigation Fund (SDMF) to 14 states, and Rs 719 crore from the National Disaster Mitigation Fund (NDMF) to eight states.
Despite these funds, state officials expressed dissatisfaction, noting that Telangana had sought Rs 5,400 crore in immediate relief, a sum that was not granted. The Centre also asked the state to provide details of the SDRF utilisation for previous releases before approving any further assistance. As of April 1, 2024, Telangana had already received Rs 1,345 crore in SDRF to handle relief measures for future calamities.
While the Rs 231 crore grant is a step toward recovery, senior officials emphasised the need for more substantial support to address the full scale of the devastation caused by the monsoon rains.
