Hyderabad, June 15: Taking serious note of the traffic chaos witnessed across Hyderabad during recent rains, Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on Sunday warned officials that strict action would be taken if similar disruptions recur during the monsoon season.
Chairing a high-level review meeting on monsoon preparedness with officials from various departments, the Chief Minister stressed the need for constant vigilance and proactive measures to ensure that citizens do not face inconvenience during heavy rainfall.
Expressing displeasure over the severe traffic congestion reported in several parts of Hyderabad, including Cyberabad, following the rains on June 9, Revanth Reddy said municipal, police and traffic authorities had failed to remain alert despite advance warnings issued by the Meteorological Department.
The Chief Minister recalled that he had personally issued detailed instructions during a rain preparedness review meeting held on June 1. However, he noted that officials failed to implement those directives effectively, resulting in significant hardship for commuters.
He criticised the lack of coordination between municipal and police departments during the rainfall event and directed Chief Secretary K. Ramakrishna Rao and Director General of Police C.V. Anand to conduct a thorough analysis of the situation and identify those responsible.
Making his stand clear, Revanth Reddy warned that negligence would not be tolerated and that strict action would be taken against officials if such incidents occur again.
The Chief Minister instructed all departments to act proactively based on weather forecasts and ensure effective field-level coordination during periods of heavy rain.
He directed personnel from the Municipal Administration Department, HYDRAA, Traffic Police, Water Board and Civil Police to remain on the ground whenever heavy rainfall is forecast. He stated that everyone, from the Police Commissioner to the lowest-ranking staff member, must be present on the roads to manage traffic and prevent disruptions.
“If necessary, I too will come onto the streets,” the Chief Minister said, underscoring the seriousness of the issue.
Revanth Reddy also instructed the DGP to immediately fill vacancies in the traffic department and warned that problems arising from human error would not be tolerated under any circumstances.
The Chief Minister directed officials to prepare comprehensive action plans based on identified waterlogging points, accident-prone stretches and traffic congestion hotspots across the city.
Expressing concern over power outages caused by falling trees during the rains, he instructed the Electricity Department to ensure immediate restoration of power supply and deploy mobile transformers wherever required. He also directed all electricity personnel to remain in the field throughout the monsoon season.
Reviewing irrigation preparedness, Revanth Reddy instructed officials to implement stringent safety measures at all irrigation projects across the state. He directed engineers to strictly follow operational manuals and remain stationed at project sites during the monsoon period.
The Chief Minister further ordered the Irrigation Secretary to initiate strict action against any engineer leaving a project site without prior permission from higher authorities. He also directed Principal Secretary (Finance) Sandeep Kumar Sultania to immediately sanction funds required for repair and maintenance of project gates.
Rajya Sabha member Vem Narender Reddy, Government Advisor Sudarshan Reddy, Chief Secretary Ramakrishna Rao, DGP C.V. Anand and senior officials from the Irrigation, Municipal Administration, Health, Police, Agriculture and Meteorological Departments attended the review meeting.
The Chief Minister reiterated that ensuring public safety and minimizing disruption during the monsoon season would remain the government’s top priority and warned that any lapse in duty would invite strict accountability.
