Hyderabad floods: Respite from rain, various departments start relief activities

Hyderabad: With the city getting some respite from the rain, various departments started relief activities in flooded localities on Monday.

Two deaths were reported due to rains in Medak district and two others were rescued by the public after falling into nalas. Farmer Balaiah, 50, was electrocuted in his agricultural field while switching on a water pump while ward member Mallesham of Naguladevulapally village in Hathnura mandal of Medak district died after falling in flowing water.

One Venu was rescued by the public after he fell into the Medchal Pedda Cheruvu with his motor-cycle while crossing the bund. Another person was rescued by locals after he fell into a nala at East Anandbagh in the city.

An old house at Madannapet collapsed due to the rains though no causalities were recorded. Meanwhile around 20 apartments at Bandari Layout near Kukatpally are still submerged. Fire service personnel are still pumping water from these apartments at road numbers 9 and 10. Kukatpally fire officials said that the task would be completed by Tuesday based on the weather condition

GHMC officials however said pumping out water from cellars of all apartments on road number 8 of Bandari Layout was complete and the families had returned to their flats from relief camps and relatives’ houses.

Relief operations are continuing at Dharani Nagar at Alwynn Colony near Kukatpally, Nizampet, Alwal, Bowenpally and a few localities of Old City.

Meanwhile, heavy rains on Sunday night at the IT corridor led to waterlogging at Cyber Towers, Kothaguda Junction, Gachibowli and Serilingampally. The road at Serilingampally near the ZP High School railway underbridge is still under water.

Floods hit pujas at Edupayala
Floods in Manjira submerged the famed Edupayala Vana  Durga Bhavani temple near Medak last week. Priests have stopped performing pujas for two days and will not be able to restart rituals till the recedes.

This is the first major temple in Telangana state to be submerged due to the floods caused by heavy rain last week. Located 110 km from Hyderabad, the temple is one of the most famous  shrines in Medak. It is located at the confluence of seven rivulets that join the Manjira river, hence the name Edupayala (In Telugu, edu means seven and  payalu, streams).

“This  is the first time in 20 years that the temple has been flooded,” said temple priest Raikoti Shanker Sharma. Deputy Speaker Padma Devender Reddy and Medak district collector advised temple authorities not to venture out to perform puja till it is safe. They advised them that pujas to utsav murthis, which was going on, be stopped.