Telangana seeks Rs 16,731 cr flood relief from Centre

Hyderabad: The Telangana govt has urged the Centre to immediately extend financial support after heavy rains and floods caused an estimated loss of ₹5,018 crore across the state. Of this, the state said it urgently needs ₹1,500 crore to repair damaged infrastructure, including roads, railway tracks, culverts, electric poles, and transformers. The state also sought the pending Rs 11,713 crore towards flood relief.

Deputy chief minister Bhatti Vikramarka, agriculture minister Tummala Nageswara Rao, special representative in New Delhi AP Jithender Reddy, and senior officials met Union home minister Amit Shah at his residence in Delhi on Thursday. They submitted a detailed representation requesting financial aid and asked the Centre to declare the calamity a national disaster.

According to preliminary reports, 22 people have lost their lives, while assessments of crop loss, livestock deaths, and house damages are still underway.

Responding to their appeal, Amit Shah assured that a central team would soon visit Telangana to assess the scale of devastation. The ministers reminded him that in 2023, when floods ravaged Khammam and neighbouring districts, Telangana had sought ₹11,713 crore in aid. "However, except for routine allocations, no special funds were released, which hampered rehabilitation works," they pointed out.

They urged the Centre to release both the pending ₹11,713 crore and the current requirement of ₹5,018 crore — totalling ₹16,731 crore — without delay to enable the state to carry out large-scale rehabilitation and restoration work. "Shah responded positively to our request," the ministers said after the meeting.

The ministers explained that between Aug 25 and 28, Telangana received unprecedented rainfall, leading to severe floods in Kamareddy, Medak, Nirmal, and Nizamabad districts. Eight districts recorded excess rainfall ranging from 65% to 95%, while overall rainfall in the state was 25% above normal. The downpour caused widespread destruction to public and private property, crops, livestock, and even human lives, they said.

The state govt highlighted that it mobilised all available resources for relief operations. Seven NDRF teams, 15 SDRF teams, and nearly 100 Army personnel were deployed for rescue missions. Round-the-clock monitoring, they said, helped contain the loss of human lives despite the intensity of the floods.