“Sir, I was told a tree in Madhapur – Jubilee Hills Road fell and is blocking the road. I request you to clear it. My name is Narasimha,” said Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan, posing as a common man when he called the corporation’s helpline on Saturday seeking to test the GHMC’s preparedness.
“Staff working at Madhapur called the governor and sought details of the location. Within two hours, the complaint was addressed without staff knowing it came from the Governor,” a GHMC official said, adding that the Mr. Narasimhan was pleased and conveyed the same to GHMC Commissioner B. Janardhan Reddy.
Staff of all government wings, including GHMC, electricity, water works and police worked through the intervening night of Friday and Saturday to clear trees, restore power and to remove water from flooded areas. The staff then resumed work on Saturday morning to resume relief operations.
The GHMC claimed that most of the 440 trees uprooted were cleared, but staff was working until late Saturday, touring the innards of the city to ensure roads were clear. Staff of the power department also worked until late Saturday evening restoring power to a few neighbourhoods in Banjara Hills and Mehdipatnam.
Senior officials also sat through numerous review meetings with Ministers. Municipal Administration Minister K.T. Rama. Rao also commended the departments for their effort.
Stringent warning
Saturday also saw GHMC representatives, including Mayor B. Rammohan, warn advertising agencies of stringent actions if fragile hoardings were not cleared from atop the city’s buildings. The Mayor said that hoardings older than 15 years should be removed or strengthened to withstand wind speeds up to 150 kmph, the likes of which were recorded on Friday.
