Hyderabad floods: Lakhs spent to pump out water

Hyderabad: Floods in several areas of Hyderabad caused huge monetary loss for damaged civil infrastructure like roads and financial losses to car and bike owners and also property loss.

“We have got several claims from these localities for car and bike damages,” said a senior official of an insurance company.

Flat owners in apartment complexes are spending huge amounts to pump out water from their cellars and also to remove the silt. In Nizampet, Kukatpally area including Bandari Layout, Balajinagar and Pragathinagar, around 280 apartment complexes have been badly affected.

Each apartment is spending around Rs 1 lakh for dewatering, cleaning of mud and replacing electrical meters etc.  Private operators are charging around Rs 1500 per hour for dewatering cellars and there is a huge waiting list. The fire department has only two dewatering machines, and though other fire tenders were pressed into service, due to too many requests, the department couldn’t attend to all calls.

Mr P. Vijaya Ravindra Babu from Bandari layout said that their colony was badly affected due to the rains. “We had spent about Rs 1.5 lakh for dewatering,
cleaning of cellars and replacing electrical meters 15 days back due to heavy rains. We will have to bear the same cost now.

Each apartment complex is spending the same amount and the flat owners have to bear the cost. We fear that about 40 per cent of tenants in the 5,000 flats may
relocate due to this bitter experience,” he said.

GHMC chief engineer (Projects and Admin) K. Suresh Kumar said, “There has not been much damage to property like houses. There’s only been waterlogging.  For vehicle damage or damages to houses, the GHMC will not pay any compensation as the civic body is not responsible. The houses were built on tank beds where they were not supposed to be built. They constructed these houses with court orders.”