GHMC to implement zone-wise action plan for flood prevention in next monsoon

Hyderabad:  Months after heavy rains followed by floods resulted in severe damage to low-lying areas in the city, the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) on Monday planned to implement a zone-wise immediate action plan to prevent flooding in the next monsoon season.
Principal Secretary of Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MA&UD) department Arvind Kumar on Monday conducted a high-level meeting with all the departments, to discuss the measures to be taken to prevent flooding in the next monsoon.
Speaking at the review meeting, Arvind Kumar said, “The MA&UD department has directed the GHMC to formulate and implement a ‘Zone-wise Immediate Action Plan’ to take an instant action to prevent flooding in the residential areas, lakes, ponds and ditches under the Outer Ring Road (ORR) in the coming monsoon season.” During the meeting Arvind Kumar asked the officials to take up nala-widening and removal of encroachments to ensure the free flow of water to avoid inundation and directed the authorities to follow the Strategic Nala Development Programme (SNDP).
The GHMC officials at the meeting compared the October 17, 2020 floods with the ‘Great Musi Flood of 1908’.
With heavy inundation occurred in apartment cellars people experienced many problems in recent floods, Arvind Kumar instructed the officials to ensure in providing pumps to drain out rainwater from cellars. He also asked the electricity department officials to shift electric panel boards to the ground floor from the cellar the electric supply should not get disturbed when it rains.