Twelve hours after the heavy rain receded, water continued to flow with strength on the arterial roads and bylanes in and around Chandanagar on Wednesday evening. While people had expected to wake up to an unprecedented situation, none could have estimated how terrifying it would be.
Years of monetary investment were drowned as shops located in cellars alongside Chandanagar main road continued to be submerged. People were seen trying to pump the water out onto roads.
A little ahead, ankle-level water flowed consistently, covering one side of the main road. With no tar in sight, people slowed down their high horse powered vehicles and joined an unofficial queue of vehicles alongside median lest they get caught up in potholes.
A similar situation was witnessed on Madinaguda main road and its bylanes where mucky water continued to flow. In some more places, debris and uprooted plants were strewn on road. Towing vehicles were busy pulling out cars from under thick layers of mud and swirling waters. Vehicle mechanics, too, had their hands full. TS Disaster Response and Fire Services personnel who were busy pumping out water from an apartment’s cellar in Madinaguda said it was easily more than five hours’ job.
“This cellar is spread on around 300 square yards land, and is 10 feet deep. We have been on the job since noon and hope to pump out all the water by 5 p.m. or 6 p.m. We have four more cellars to empty,” said S. Rajeshwar, driver and operator. People in other apartments continued to wait for help to take out vehicles from cellars. Most localities did not have power supply since Tuesday evening for 16-24 hours.
