The state of Telangana has seen some devastating turn of events since the past few weeks and it seems that the situation is supposedly to be very tensed: between the state government and the High Court of Telangana. The High court of Telangana is waiting for a clear-cut explanation from the state regarding the safety of the citizens ad mist a series of natural calamities it is facing. Earlier, it was reported that a warning was issued by the state government at Telangana’s Bhadrachalam as Godavari River flows above the danger mark. Relief operations are being undertaken in the villages here and all district officials are on high alert. In the report on the statistics of the actual destruction shows that from July 19 to July 27, 41 people have died due to heavy rains resulting in floods in 10 districts. While 813 animals, mostly cattle, have drowned, over 1 lakh acres of agricultural land has got destroyed. 190 irrigation tanks were contaminated affecting 57688 farmers, the State said.
It was not long ago when another report came on 29th July, 2023 stating that at least 16 people lost their lives in various rain-related incidents due to the downpour that lashed Telangana during the past week. The relief was immediately put on active mode on Saturday as rainfall came to a halt in many parts of the state. Waterlogging continued in parts of Warangal despite rainfall subsiding. After so many detections of floods and water clogging natural calamities, it’s like the whole of Telangana is submerged in the water and the state cannot keep up with the safety measures. Now, another update to the issue reports; he death toll in the current spell of rains in Telangana reached 23 after 14 more bodies were recovered from the flood waters in Mulugu district alone on Friday. The victims were washed away in the flooded Jampanna Vagu stream in the village in Eturunagaram on Thursday.
Upon hearing so many cases, the division-bench consisting of Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice T. Vinod Kumar, while addressing the state said:
“Let us know when essential facilities such as electricity will be restored, and set up camps for counselling for loss due to floods. It is understood that floods are receding, so epidemic diseases cannot be ruled out. Follow Section 2 of the Epidemic Disease Act 1897, and ensure safety and well-being of all those affected. Needless to say, State government shall provide relief to all 14216 flood victims, and identify each one of them. Issue a helpline (disaster relief) as a first step measure.” It is to be noted that this issue has already been raised in the court of law when the court made these observations during the hearing of Public Interest Litigation instituted in 2020 by Dr. Cheruku Sudhakar and Kabbaka Shravan Kumar, a social worker, for compensation of victims of floods and fires. Advocate Prabhakar Chikkudu, representing the petitioners, had earlier filed an interlocutory application submitting that scope of PIL may be extended to all those affected by floods and rising levels of dams. The courts had asked the State to file a report showing the extent of damage. It was submitted by the petitioners that
State authorities had received warning from the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) about heavy rainfalls but there was no follow-up to the safety measures for the civilians affected. In another statement, the court implied that “we are not here to blame the government for not acting diligently towards the disaster management but plead that they (government) can take it as an example for what you can avoid in the future.”
Special Government Pleader and Senior Counsel Harinder Pershad submitted that the State and Central authorities are working tirelessly, day-in-and-day-out to help individuals affected by the floods. The official pleader representing the government also said that over 162 shelter camps have been set up in the villages, where affected people have access to clean water, sanitation, medicine, and hygienic staying conditions. 33 medical camps were also set up, the counsel said.
25 boats and helicopters were deployed to conduct rescue operations and to provide clean water and food, the court was told. It was also informed that 80tourists were rescued and the Collectors of various villages are making reports and assessing damage on the ground level. The State had further declared a holiday for 4days to encourage individuals to stay home, the court was told.
After hearing the contentions put forward by the State the Bench ordered in the sense that the state is lagging the reporting of more deaths in other districts of Telangana after the so called “Incomplete Report” had been submitted and the missing statistics of the injured people during the calamity. The court also observed that the psychological injury suffered by the living civilians had also been neglected. Hence, the report submitted by the state government of Telangana stands rejected and orders the concerned parties to take batter relief care activities for the disaster-affected citizens.
NAME: DIVYA SALGAONKAR, 3rd YEAR BLS, COLLEGE NAME: VES COLLEGE OF LAW, MUMBAI intern under legal vidhiya.
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