VIJAYAWADA: Deputy Chief Minister and Minister for Panchayati Raj and Rural Development, Konidala Pawan Kalyan, announced a personal donation of Rs 1 lakh to each of the panchayats affected by the recent floods, totaling Rs 4 crores for 400 panchayats in the State. The donation will be directly deposited into the respective panchayats’ accounts to aid their recovery.
Following a teleconference with Panchayat Raj officials, the Deputy CM held a press conference on Wednesday. While addressing the press, Pawan Kalyan lauded the swift response of the coalition government in the face of an unexpected natural disaster, particularly in the NTR district, which suffered the most.
The Deputy CM emphasised the tireless efforts of Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu, who has been actively involved in flood relief operations, personally visiting affected areas.
Referring to HYDRAA’s (Hyderabad Disaster Response and Assets Protection Agency) operations in Hyderabad, Pawan Kalyan highlighted the importance of advanced technology in preventing such disasters. HYDRAA tracks illegal encroachments in water bodies and demolishes them if they encroach upon the water body space, preventing unauthorised constructions.
Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan proposed a similar approach for river basins and flood-prone areas, suggesting that real-time satellite surveillance could help identify and prevent illegal constructions along rivers, streams, and drainage systems.