Residents of about 40 apartment complexes and dozens of independent houses in Deepti Srinagar Colony in the western parts of the city were marooned in waist-high water following heavy rain on Friday night and early Saturday morning. The area recorded 12.4 cm of rain till 8.30 a.m.
However, there was no loss of life. Many cars and vehicles were submerged after water from a sewage canal flooded the cellars of apartments.
“We were doing Ganapati puja at about 8.30 p.m. when water level started rising in the street, we took out our cars from the cellar and parked them on the street,” said Vishnu Nagesh, a resident of Potlapally Pavitra complex. By morning the water in the cellar reached a height of 13 ft from ground. Across the road where the water roared into the houses of people in low lying areas, a similar story was echoed.
Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation officials who reached the spot early morning were badgered with complaints as they tried to clear a channel to drain the muddy water.
“My home is on the other side of the temple. I scaled a wall to reach here. My children are hungry. I don’t know what to do,” said Gopal Rao, who blamed construction on a sewer for the flooding in the area. This is the fourth time this area has been flooded, according to residents.
By afternoon, GHMC officials served lunch to some of the affected people. “There are many affected people, workers, watchmen, families living in these complexes. We have brought food for about 4000 people,” said Dr Ravi, a health official of GHMC. “The water channel has always been narrow. And that is the reason for the flooding,” said a GHMC official of West Zone.