Hyderabad: Heavy rainfall over the past 24 hours turned city roads into rivulets. Areas like Uppal, L.B. Nagar, Begumpet, Alwal, Malkajgiri and Qutbullapur saw miserable traffic jams. The eastern parts were worst affected.
“The rain has been punishing us this year,” said Mr K. Srinivas Verma of old Alwal. “Every time there is a downpour, water inundates our streets and sometimes enters our homes.”
Bhudevinagar, Anandraonagar, West Venkatapuram, Shivanagar and Kanajiguda were badly affected. “Our gardens are filled with water,” said Mr B. Edulji.
Senior officials of the irrigation department and Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) confessed that the lakes were overflowing due to Mission Kakatiya works.
“Due to the work the lake has been de-watered,” the official said. “Given the intensity of the rain, the water was forced into the streets.”
Residents around Kapra lake, like Mr V. Shanker, rue that if the water from the past 10 days had been harvested, his house would have been underwater.
The College of Defence Management (CDM) road was heavily inundated, possibly due to a breach in the Yapral lake bund. There was also a major traffic jam on the Suchitra Road, where vehicles were lined up for at least half a kilometre.
That’s not all. The rain triggered protests on social media platforms. Mr Venkatramana Dudam said: “This is what happens after one hour of heavy rainfall, it is time we hold GHMC responsible.”
“The roads leading towards Lothkunta are water-logged up to our calves,” Mr Srinivas said. “We are forced to wade through the water to go home.”
