Friday night’s heavy downpour has had the GHMC identify 78 areas prone to inundation with moves afoot to curb water stagnation. GHMC commissioner M.T. Krishna Babu said that 56 extra vehicles with generators, pumps and other equipment and 589 additional area-wise workers have been deployed for relief and rehabilitation work. The commissioner said that the GHMC has deputed senior officials in the cadre of additional commissioner and city planners for each circle office to coordinate with the deputy commissioner and zonal commissioner when alarm 1 rings. A district fire officer would also be placed in each control room to attend to alarm 1, he said.
GHMC control rooms rec-eived 120 emergency calls on Saturday and Central Emergency was notified of three wall collapses. West Zone reported nine casualties due to a wall collapse at Balanagar and one at Hafeezpet. GHMC will be paying `1 lakh as ex-gratia to the next of kin from the mayor’s discretionary fund.
Police has filed a case against M/s Dulux Paints for constructing a wall without a foundation, which led to five deaths. A part of the wall had collapsed a few days ago. The commissioner appealed to citizens to vacate dilapidated buildings or the GHMC would demolish the structures and the cost incurred would be collected from the building owners. More than 190 buildings were recently identified as dilapidated, of which the GHMC has demolished 28 in the last 15 days.
GHMC has opened call centres, where people can lodge their grievances 24X7 by calling phone numbers: 155304, 1100, 1253, 23302440, 040-23302550, 040-23302660, 8790715555 and 8790725555.