Rains wreak Hyderabad, other parts of Telangana; holiday declared till Thursday

Heavy rains in Telangana have killed at least fifteen people even as incessant rains are likely to continue across the state for the coming 48 hours. The incessant rains since Tuesday have led to several parts of the state, including capital Hyderabad, reeling under severe waterlogging and inundation of some low-lying areas.

The next 12 hours will be critical as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has said a depression over western parts of Telangana will move west northwestwards and gradually weaken into a well-marked, low-pressure area in the next 12 hours.

The Met department has issued a yellow alert for Hyderabad, while the state government has declared a holiday for Wednesday and Thursday for all private institutions, offices, non-essential services within Outer Ring Road here in view of rains. It has also advised people to stay indoor as far as possible.

"Depression over western parts of Telangana near latitude 17.7°N and longitude 78.1°E, about 50 km west of Hyderabad (Telangana) is a potential cause of the sudden outpour of rainwater in the city and surrounding areas. This depression will move west northwestwards and gradually weaken into a well-marked, low-pressure area in the next 12 hours," the IMD said.

The Met department has said that thunderstorm accompanied by lightning is very likely to occur at isolated places over Telangana on Wednesday. Heavy rains are expected in Vikarabad, Siddipet and Jagaon districts of Telangana.

According to official data, from 8.30 am to 2100 hours on Tuesday, Singapur Township in Medchal Malkajgiri district received 292.5 mm rainfall, followed by 250.8 mm at Verkat Palle in Yadadri-Bhongir district.

Many localities in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) limits have received very heavy to extremely heavy rainfall, with the average rainfall in Greater Hyderabad recorded at 192 mm rain on Tuesday. This is a city record for the highest rainfall in October in the last 100 years.

Vanasthalipuram, Dammaiguda, Attapur Main Road, and Musheerabad are some of the areas of Hyderabad that have been severely waterlogged due to incessant rainfall. Moreover, waterlogging on the roads meant that traffic moved at a snail's pace across the city on Tuesday evening.

With Hyderabad witnessing recording unprecedented rainfall in till Tuesday night, with several areas receiving 20 cm or more rains, the GHMC authorities had to open the floodgates of the Himayat Sagar dam that supplies water to Hyderabad, late last night after the water levels rose. More such actions are likely in the future, say reports.

The extent of the calamity that has struck Hyderabad can be gauged by the statement given by a senior weather expert to a newspaper: "In GHMC limits so far, the record rainfall is 24 centimetre at Begumpet in Hyderabad in August 2000 when the city got flooded. Now in the last 24 hours till 5.00 am around 29.8 centimetre of rainfall has been recorded in GHMC limits at Hayatnagar. In the outskirts of the city at Ghatkeswar around 32.3 centimeter has been recorded. In around 35 places in the city more than 21 centimetre has been recorded. This is all-time record rain fall in Hyderabad."

Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao has directed that the administration in the districts should be on high alert, an official release issued late on Tuesday night quoted the chief secretary Somesh Kumar as saying. The chief secretary has also urged the district collectors to remain alert and strictly follow the flood protocol communicated earlier.

A 40-year-old woman and her daughter died after the roof of their house collapsed at Ibrahimpatnam area on Tuesday. The woman and her 15-year-old daughter died on the spot, while her son escaped with minor injuries when the roof of their old house collapsed around 8.00 pm, police said.

Ten people, including a toddler, have died in two wall collapse incidents in Chandrayangutta police station limits. A senior police official said huge boulders rolled down a hill and crashed into two houses at Chandrayangutta late Tuesday night, killing eight people and injuring three. Two more deaths have been reported on Wednesday morning from the area, the official said.

Three members of a family, including a child, have died in a house collapse in Gaganpahad area of Shamshabad this morning, police said. Outside of the city, three people have been killed as house collapses in Nagarkurnool district of Telangana.

In a dramatic visual that has been captured by the camera, a man was apparently swept away by the rampaging floodwater in Hyderabad. It is still not clear whether the man has been rescued. In the video, the man is seen being swept away by the strong currents of the rainwater as efforts are made to save him. The man tries to grab hold of a pole that comes in the path but fails as he is pushed by the strong currents. Two people standing at an elevated path are seen watching helplessly amid screams by locals who try to save the man. A tyre tube is also seen floating with him.

Minister for Municipal Administration and Urban Development K T Rama Rao and Animal Husbandry Minister Talasani Srinivas Yadav have held an emergency meeting with senior officials and reviewed the rescue and relief operations in the city.

The GHMC Mayor, Deputy Mayor, MLAs, and other elected representatives and officials have been ordered to be available in the field and continuously monitor and coordinate relief measures.

Rama Rao directed the Hyderabad and Ranga Reddy district collectors to coordinate with the police and Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MAUD) department to shift people residing in low-lying areas and on the banks of Nalas and Musi rivers to relief shelters.

Since Tuesday, police teams and personnel of Disaster Response Force of GHMC and NDRF have evacuated several families from different flooded localities, even as rescue efforts are on in many other areas.

Union Minister of State for Home G Kishan Reddy said that two more teams of the NDRF have reached Hyderabad to assist in relief measures in Hyderabad and elsewhere in Telangana.

As many as 33 passengers of a state-run bus have been rescued after the vehicle got stuck owing to water-logging on a road at Uppal within the city limits, police said.

Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi, who has been monitoring the flood situation, visited Bandlaguda on Tuesday night to oversee the rescue efforts there.

As several trees and electricity poles have been uprooted due to the deluge, Rama Rao asked the Telangana State Southern Power Distribution Company Limited (TSSPDCL) officials to coordinate with MAUD and police to ensure power was restored at the earliest. Power supply was suspended in most parts of the state capital on Tuesday as a precaution, the officials said adding the measure had to be taken for public safety.