Hyderabad: Normal life continues to remain disrupted due to torrential rains in Telangana capital Hyderabad and parts of Telangana with the India Meteorological Department predicting more rains in coming days.
On Tuesday morning, city residents who had gone to bed peacefully on Monday night woke up to heavy rain as the capital was inundated with water, transforming low-lying areas, streets, and colonies into submerged zones due to torrential rain. When people awoke and stepped out of bed, they found themselves wading through knee-deep floodwaters. Hyderabad appeared like a vast pond, with many colonies completely submerged.
Khairatabad recorded the highest rainfall of 12.55 cm from Monday night until 7 am on Tuesday. Throughout the day, from 8 am to 7 pm, Patancheru Ramachandrapuram received a maximum of 4.4 cm of rain. The rain started intensifying from 6 pm on Monday and continued throughout the night, leading to severe flooding in the low-lying areas.
The rain, which started intermittently on Tuesday morning, continued into the following morning, affecting almost all districts. Yadagirigutta in Yadadri district recorded the highest rainfall at 16.8 cm.
Flooded Areas
Significant flooding was reported in Malakpet, Santoshnagar, and Dabirpura, with the Malakpet railway station RUB and Azampura RUB submerged under water. The depth of the floodwaters reached up to a meter, causing a halt in vehicular traffic for an hour. Although the situation improved by noon, further rainfall in the evening led to renewed difficulties for motorists.
City Response
Mayor Vijayalakshmi convened a teleconference with senior officials, instructing them to initiate disaster management efforts. The floodwaters affected 163 areas, with 41 trees falling due to inclement weather. The city's drainage systems, which are designed to handle only two centimeters of rain per hour, were overwhelmed by the 13 cm of rain that fell on Tuesday.
Traffic and Infrastructure Disruptions
Hyderabad Central, South, and Secunderabad Circle areas experienced major disruptions. The control room received 4,000 complaints regarding the flooding. Chief Engineer of Metrozone, Mohan Reddy, reported that 178 feeders tripped in the morning but were promptly repaired.
Several colony roads, including those in Jedimetla First Avenue Colony, Suraram, Hetec City, Gachibowli, Kutbhullapur Vajpeinagar, Maredupalli, Malkajigiri, Secunderabad, Hayatnagar High Court Colony, Musheerabad, and Ramnagar, were also flooded. A vehicle was reported to be stuck in a river at Farhatnagar.
Casualties and Viral Scenes
In Yusufguda, a two-wheeler rider was swept away on the Indiranagar-Shrikrishnanagar main road near Greenbavarchi Hotel in the early hours of Tuesday. The two young men saved him with great difficulty. Videos of these dramatic scenes have gone viral on WhatsApp groups, highlighting the severe impact of the floods on the city.
In another tragic incident in Musheerabad, a man was swept away by the floodwaters and died. B. Vijaykumar, 42, who lived alone near Parshigutta Chowrasta under the Varasiguda police station, slept on the floor of a house under construction on Monday night. Early in the morning, he was washed away by the flood caused by the heavy rain. His body was found later near the tire of a car parked in a lower area.
Musi River Raging
The Musi River, swelled by heavy rains in Ranga Reddy district and Hyderabad, became even more furious by Tuesday afternoon due to the inflow from tributaries and streams. The opening of the Hussainsagar gates further added to the Musi's floodwaters.
IMD Predicts More Rains
The Meteorological Department has forecasted rain for the state on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Districts such as Adilabad, Kumurabhim Asifabad, Mancherial, Nirmal, Nizamabad, Jagityal, Yadadri Bhuvanagiri, Ranga Reddy, Hyderabad, Malkajigiri, Vikarabad, Sangareddy, Medak, and Kamareddy are expected to receive moderate rainfall, with 'Yellow' warnings issued for these areas. Light rains are anticipated in the remaining districts. The Meteorological Department also noted that the trough over the state has weakened. In light of the heavy rain forecast until the 24th of this month, Chief Secretary Shantikumari has instructed District Collectors to remain vigilant.
