Hyderabad Rains: Filmnagar, Shaikpet Dwellers Feel Rain Wrath

Hyderabad: Localities across the city continued to reel in the aftermath of the one-hour intense spell of rainfall on Monday evening, with intermittent spells on Tuesday adding to their woes.

Residents of MG Nagar in Filmnagar were especially affected, as water overflow from a drain in the vicinity entered residences during the turn, as they struggled to save their belongings and take refuge on higher ground.

K. Shiva, a resident, said water started entering his house within an hour of the rains and his family were in knee-deep water for more than four hours.

“I spent two hours clearing the floodwater from my house. All our belongings were floating in the water. I somehow managed to keep things in place and stayed back at home,” he said, visibly distressed over a lack of action from the authorities.

Two other residents, Krishna and Shekhar, said they had to depend on their neighbours’ kindness as they were unable to cook food due to their house being flooded.

Disgruntled locals said that this was a regular occurrence every time it rains heavily, with all complaints over the years to authorities falling on deaf ears.

Mohammad Sharif, who works as a welder, said, “We have been raising several complaints to the GHMC and to local leaders, including the corporator and the MLA, but no one really cares about us and our families. Whenever it rains heavily, our homes are flooded and we have to take refuge at neighbours’ homes, where we can keep our children safe.”

Another resident, K. Arvind, said that the flooding issue has worsened since water from a nearby lake was diverted into the drain near their homes.

Meanwhile, residents of Samtha Colony in Shaikpet said that incomplete roadwork has made their life miserable due to the stretch now becoming pothole-riddled and practically, unmotorable.

Md Ahmed, who runs a tailoring shop in the area, said that the entire colony was in knee-deep water for more than four hours till late at night. “We could not step out of the shop and had to wait till the water receded. Even an ambulance could not enter the colony and a patient had to be carried on a stretcher while it poured, due to waterlogging here,” Ahmed said.

Mumtaz Ahmed, a kirana shop owner, said that the roadwork started around 10 days ago but was left incomplete, due to which vehicles could not move and even people could not walk.

Motorists also complained of a similar problem at Seven Tombs Road, with one side of the carriageway riddled with potholes and inundated.