Taking a serious view of the traffic chaos witnessed in Hyderabad during recent rains, Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on Sunday warned officials that strict action would be inevitable if traffic disruptions continued during heavy downpours.
He directed that everyone, from constables to the Police Commissioner, should be on the roads to prevent chaos and stated that, if necessary, he himself would come out onto the streets. At a review meeting with officials of various departments on monsoon preparedness, the Chief Minister emphasised the need for officials to remain extremely vigilant during the rainy season.
He insisted that robust measures be taken to ensure that the public faced no inconvenience and warned that strict action would be taken against any official found negligent. The Chief Minister inquired about the situation that arose in the core urban region following the rains on June 9.
He expressed displeasure over the inconvenience caused to city residents by traffic jams in several areas, including Cyberabad. Revanth Reddy remarked that municipal, police and traffic personnel had failed to remain alert despite warnings issued by the Meteorological Department.
The Chief Minister recalled that he had personally issued several directives during a review meeting on rain preparedness held on June 1. However, he expressed severe displeasure over what he described as the negligent conduct of officials. He noted a lack of coordination between municipal and police officials during the rainfall on June 9.
He directed Chief Secretary Ramakrishna Rao and DGP CV Anand to analyse the reasons behind the situation and take action against the officials concerned. CM Revanth Reddy made it clear that strict action would be taken if such a situation recurred.
The Chief Minister instructed officials to take proactive measures in line with forecasts issued by the Meteorological Department. He emphasised that personnel from the Municipal Administration, HYDRAA, Traffic and Water Board departments, as well as civil police personnel, must remain on the ground during periods of rainfall.
He categorically stated that everyone, from the Police Commissioner to the lowest-ranking staff member, must be present on the roads. The Chief Minister added that he would also take to the streets himself if necessary. He warned that strict action would follow if traffic jams occurred because of rain-related mismanagement. He directed the DGP to immediately fill vacancies in the traffic department.
The CM also warned that issues arising from human error would not be tolerated under any circumstances. The Chief Minister advised officials to prepare action plans based on data relating to waterlogging points, accident-prone locations and areas vulnerable to traffic congestion during rains.
He expressed anger over disruptions in power supply caused by trees falling in various locations during the rains. The CM directed that power restoration work be carried out immediately and called for the deployment of mobile transformers wherever necessary.
He also ordered that all Electricity Department personnel remain deployed in the field during the rainy season. In light of the rains, Chief Minister Revanth Reddy instructed irrigation officials to implement robust measures at all projects across the state. He emphasised that project operations must adhere to established manuals and directed that the concerned engineers remain stationed at project sites during the monsoon season.
He instructed the Irrigation Secretary to take strict action against any engineer who leaves a project site without the permission of higher authorities. Additionally, he directed Principal Secretary (Finance) Sandeep Kumar Sultania to immediately sanction the necessary funds for the repair and maintenance of project gates.
Rajya Sabha member Vem Narender Reddy, Government Advisor Sudarshan Reddy, Chief Secretary Ramakrishna Rao and DGP CV Anand, along with senior officials from the Irrigation, Municipal Administration, Health, Police, Agriculture and Meteorological departments, participated in the meeting.