HYDERABAD: Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy on Wednesday said the state will constitute a dedicated nodal agency for Flood Plain Zoning.
Inaugurating a workshop on Flood Plain Zoning for Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, organised by the Krishna and Godavari Basin Organisation under the Ministry of Jal Shakti at MCRHRD, he outlined a comprehensive roadmap to tackle recurring floods.
Explaining the Central Water Commission’s three-zone framework — Protected, Regulatory and Warning zones — he said Flood Plain Zoning is not anti-development but ensures sustainable and planned growth. He pointed out that regions which had not witnessed floods for 10 to 15 years are now facing sudden inundation.
The minister said flood problems persist in Bhadrachalam, Munneru in Khammam and several other river sub-basins. Recalling the devastating September 2024 floods, he said the Munneru river rose to a record 36 feet — the highest since 1984 — submerging several colonies up to rooftop level and inundating over 110 villages.
People were stranded on rooftops and hillocks. Floods affected 29 of the state’s 33 districts, damaged 1,023 km of roads, breached 257 streams and ponds, killed 26,592 cattle and destroyed over 20 lakh acres of crops. The initial loss was estimated at `5,438 crore, with 29 lives lost.
Describing the disaster as unprecedented in 30 years, he said the floods caused human suffering.
On the Godavari floods, he said the river at Bhadrachalam crosses the danger mark during severe monsoons, cutting off the Bhadrachalam–Nelipaka road and isolating several habitations. In 2025, the Suddakal river crossed its historical high flood level of 425 metres. Along the Maner river, villages such as Ankushapur, Garimillapally and Somanpally witnessed record flood levels in 2023, submerging thousands of acres. In the same year, Saloora on the Majira river reached 344.5 metres.