Nine Chenchu tribals trapped in Telangana floods rescued

Hyderabad, Sep 3 (IANS) Nine Chenchu tribals, trapped in floods in Telangana's Nagarkurnool district, were rescued by police on Tuesday.

The tribals, including two children, were stuck in the flooded Dindi stream since Monday. They had taken shelter on a hillock and were waiting for help.

Police of Nagarkurnool and Nalgonda districts had launched the operation to rescue the stranded tribals. After strenuous efforts by the police personnel, the tribals were rescued on Tuesday morning.

MLAs Chikkudu Vamshi Krishna and Balu Naik supervised the rescue operation. The rescued group includes two women.

According to police, the fishermen got stranded in floods while fishing in the stream. A drone was used to drop food for the stranded tribals.

Chenchu is a primitive tribe in Telangana.

Telangana Director General of Police Jitender appreciated the police officers for the successful rescue mission.

"Appreciating the bravery and dedication of Devarakonda DSP, Dindi CI, Achampet DSP, Achampet CI for their fearless efforts in rescuing our tribal brothers and sisters. Your courage is a beacon of hope and strength," the DGP posted on social media platform X.

The police chief also appreciated Nalgonda Superintendent of Police Sharat Chandra Pawar and Nagarkurnool SP Vaibhav Gaikwad for exemplary leadership and support in this rescue mission.

The Nagarkurnool Police rescued two shepherds and 200 sheep trapped in the floods in the Dundubhi stream on Monday. The police personnel used drones in the rescue operation. The District Collector and SP supervised the rescue operation.

Heavy rain and floods in parts of Telangana since August 31 have wreaked havoc. Khammam, Nalgonda and Mahabubnagar districts were affected the most.

Overflowing rivulets and streams inundated towns and villages in these districts and disrupted vehicular and train traffic.

The rain and floods have claimed 16 lives and damaged agriculture crops over 4-5 lakh acres.

According to the state government, the state suffered losses amounting to Rs 5,438 crore.

The government has asked officials to remain vigilant for the next five to six days. An alert was sounded in 11 districts of Telangana on Tuesday as the Meteorological Department has forecast heavy rain.