Over the past 50 years, 52 out of 247 water tanks have disappeared under the watch of the Greater Warangal Municipal Corporation (GWMC), according to official data of the Telangana Remote Sensing Centre.
“This flood should be an eye-opener for the government. The tanks which have disappeared were part of a chain. Residential colonies which came up on these tank sites have been the most affected,” said M. Panduranga Rao, formerly with the National Institute of Technology, who has researched water bodies in the area for the past 50 years.
While most of Warangal, Kazipet and Hanamkonda was flooded, the worst affected areas were Waddepally Colony, Hanamkonda bus station, Nayeem Nagar, Hunter Road, Fort Warangal, 100 feet road and many other areas where National Disaster Relief Force (NDRF) personnel from Hyderabad were deployed for the rescue effort.
Satellite imagery over the past 20 years shows the rapid transformation of lakes and lake beds into multi-storeyed residential complexes. What used to be called Balasamudram is now a residential colony called Sai Nagar. The disappearance of the lake sent the water flooding to other areas of Hanamkonda RTC bus station. The Kakatiya Colony on the banks of a nala that carried water to Lower Manair Dam was also flooded. Wedged between the Godavari and Krishna river basins, the district has chains of tanks that channel water to the two basins. This natural hydro-geology has been disrupted by runaway growth of residential colonies.
“Four water tanks that were part of the Waddepally tank network have disappeared. This led to the flooding in the area. The storm water drains failed as their channels have narrowed considerably,” says Mr. Rao. Parts of the 100 ft road on the banks of the Waddepally tank was swept away by the flood waters.
The Greater Warangal Smart City Corporation Limited has taken up a ₹ 68-crore promenade project on the Bhadrakali Lake foreshore area. The multi-crore beautification project looks like a lake reclamation project with entrance plazas, viewing decks, bird walks, rubberised walking tracks, toy train track and parking areas coming up on a space where the historical lake exists. The result has been flooding of the Hunter Colony and its surrounding areas.
According to the meteorological department, the Warangal (urban) district has received 109%of the long-term average rainfall this season, while Kazipet received 158% excess rainfall.