Telugu IAS Officer saves 2 lakh people in Alleppey during Kerala flood with quick thinking

Often times we find ourselves complaining about inefficient government officials for everything that’s wrong with the way our country is run. They are written off as lazy corrupt men and women who don’t care about doing their jobs right. And to be fair, this is true in many cases. However, credit should be given where it is due and that’s what we’re going to do today. This is Krishna Teja Mylavarapu. He is a Telugu IAS officer who serves as the sub-collector of Alappuzha district in Kerala. Krishna Teja, who hails from Chilkalurpet in Guntur of Andhra Pradesh saved the lives of 2 lakh residents of Kuttanad during the recent Kerala floods. Being someone who loves exploring, within the first few months of being posted, he explored the entire area under his jurisdiction several times. This knowledge of the terrain came in pretty handy as when the rains and flood started picking up pace in Kerala, he was immediately aware that those areas would be affected soon. Springing to motion, he set about what has come to be known as ‘Operation Kuttanad’. The IAS officer was in a meeting with Kerala finance minister Thomas Isaac at 10 pm on 16th August when they received information that the nearby dams would be opened. With no time to lose, they decided it was pertinent that residents of the low lying areas be evacuated immediately. Speaking to Times of India, Krishna Teja says " Overnight we got hundreds of boats, kept personnel ready and plunged into action in the morning" Calculating how much time they had before the water would reach them, the sub-collector got policemen onto the evacuation boats to handle the initial resistance from civilians during the operation. When dawn broke on the 17th, Krishna Teja and minister Thomas Isaac were in the thick of it all. Krishna Teja continues "The thought of me being in Danger did not strike me. I was completely engrossed in the rescue operations. Yes, there have been times when the water came up to my shoulder level." The 48-hour operation was an excruciating yet satisfying experience for Teja. “I got into the IAS to serve. And this was what I got to do,” he says. The 2 lakh people who were evacuated have been put up in relief camps with adequate amenities and food. However, the journey ahead is challenging. “They’ve lost everything,” says the sub-collector when asked what aid they’d require. Officers like this retain the respect and honour of the positions they hold. Kerala is lucky to have a sub-collector like Krishna Teja and I’m sure the people of Alappuzha will be indebted to him forever. Source: Storypick.com