Heavy downpour at midnight in Karimnagar

Karimnagar: Heavy rains lashed the region at midnight, inundating several colonies and low-lying areas under the municipal corporation limits in the Karimnagar district. Floodwaters and drainage overflows entered into houses due to the poor-quality and works executed here under the Smart city project.

The city received the first ever bountiful rainfall of 101.2 mm, and the Ganneruvaram mandal with around 79.8mm and Gangadhara mandal 68.6mm of rainfall.

Under the smart city project, officials took up the underground drainage system in the MCK limits, but improper and unscientific execution of the drain construction works resulted in water running out of the drains even during a mild rainfall.

Negligence of the contractors, casual-style road laying works, lack of interlinking roads to several colonies and improper drainage system as also encroachment of nalas and illegal constructions messed up the scenario. The water, instead of flowing freely through nalas and drains, is entering houses and driving the residents out.

The People of Mankammathota, Mukarampura, Ramnagar, the Geetha Bhavan Centre, Collectorate main road, RTC workshop area, Kharkhanagadda and other colonies faced problems of flooding of their homes. Many were seen having a hard struggle, removing the floodwater from their houses throughout the night.

For the past several days, the municipal officials had not taken up the drains’ desiltation works for the smooth flow of the floodwaters. Because of this, even with a mild rainfall, the rain water gets mixed with drainage water and is overflowing and inundating the colonies.

Officials are not removing the encroachments on footpaths and the roadsides as also on the drains, because of political pressure. This is resulting in the clogging of drains, obstructing the free flow of drain water.

Meanwhile, several mandals in the erstwhile Karimnagar district had heavy rainfall, including in Metpally that had the highest rainfall of around 106.5mm. This was followed by 105mm of rainfall in Mallial mandal of Jagtial district and 104.9 mm in Chandurthi mandal, followed by Veernapally mandal with around 75.6mm rainfall and Thangallapally mandal with 68.9mm in Rajanna Sircilla district.