Probe will be conducted to find lapses: Reddy

Hyderabad, Aug 10 (UNI) Taking a serious view of the reported failure of officials to make available sufficient number of sand bags to fill breaches in many embankments, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy today said a probe would be conducted to fix responsibility.

Talking to newspersons here at the Secretariat, Dr Reddy said Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil was appreciative of the State Government's commitment to strengthening embankments of major rivers including Godavari at a cost of over Rs 1100 crore.

Reacting to the opposition's criticism on lack of adequate preparedness to avert breaches on Godavari tributaries he said ''action will be taken on any dereliction of duty''.

Dr Reddy said the state would submit a proposal to the Centre for strengthening the banks of the river Godavari along a stretch of 450 km and also other major rivers like Krishna, Vamsadara and Nagavalli on a war-footing.

He said strengthening Godavari bund alone would cost over Rs 650 crore, while Rs 500 crore was required for work on other rivers.

Describing the floods as the third worst after that in 1953 and 1986, he said bunds had not been strengthened sufficiently then.

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