HYDERABAD: A bench of the Telangana High Court, comprising Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice NV Shravan Kumar, on Monday directed the State government to file a report on the measures taken to enforce Section 39 of the Disaster Management Act (DMA) of 2005 by December 18, 2023, and also on the action taken to trace Gaddam Mahalaxmi from Jayashankar Bhupalpally District, who went missing during the heavy rains and floods in July this year.
Special government pleader Harender Prasad informed the court that 192 relief camps were established to meet the needs of flood victims in which essential supplies such as food, clean water, and medical facilities to 20,387 people were provided. He said that presently, all the victims have returned to their homes, and the camps are no longer operational. The SGP said that compensation of `4 lakh has been disbursed to the families of each of those who lost their lives during the floods.
Chikkudu Prabhakar, counsel for the petitioner, in his counter, suggested measures be taken to prevent and manage disasters and to safeguard the lives and property of the general public across the State. This includes addressing concerns related to the Kaleshwaram project, which has constructed three reservoirs on the Godavari River.
The petitioner raised concerns about the State’s practice of lifting water into the Medigadda, Annaram, and Sundilla reservoirs and subsequently releasing water downstream. This practice has led to the submergence of areas in Mulugu and Bhadradri districts for the past three years, Prabhakar said.
Following the arguments, the court directed the State government to submit a fresh status report on the implementation of Section 39 of the DM Act-2005 and posted the matter for December 18, 2023.