Heavy rains in Telangana, Hyderabad put on alert

With heavy rains witnessed across Telangana, the state machinery has been put on high alert. Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao has instructed Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar to alert the concerned departments in the state in view of the incessant rains in the state. The Chief Secretary will hold video conferences with district collectors to ensure the state is prepared. NDRF and rescue teams have also been asked to be on alert in flood prone areas. Chief Minister KCR has said that he will be continuously reviewing the situation.

All MPs, MLAs and local body representatives have been directed to be alert in their respective areas. Volunteer groups have been asked to step-in in the case of the need for rescue operations.

Heavy rains lashed parts of Telangana on Friday. The India Meteorological Department has issued a red warning for some districts for the next two days.

Addressing the media, K Nagaratna, IMD Hyderabad Chief said, “Telangana is likely to receive widespread rainfall in most places across the state. Few places in the state are likely to receive very heavy to extremely heavy rainfall. A Red warning has been issued to Jayashankar Bhupalpally, Peddapalli, Nizamabad, Mancherial, Nirmal, Adilabad, Mulugu and adjoining districts. North and North East regions in Telangana are likely to receive heavy to very heavy rainfall and an orange warning has been issued. Rest of the districts are likely to receive light to moderate rains in rest of the places.”     

A woman and her newly-married daughter lost their lives in a rain-triggered wall collapse incident in Telangana’s Nalgonda on Friday. The deceased have been identified as 42-year-old N Lakshmi and her daughter 21-year-old Kalyani. The incident happened around 4 am when the mother and daughter were sleeping.

In view of the heavy inflow and flooding in river Godavari and its largest tributary Pranahitha, state irrigation officials have been asked to stay alert. People have been asked to stay at home and not venture out unless there is an emergency.     

Telangana authorities have been alerted as the heavy rainfall is likely to result in water-logging in many low-lying areas, disruption of rail/road transport, electricity and other social disturbances, drainage clogging, and crop damages.

Mayor takes stock of situation in Hyderabad

Hyderabad Mayor Gadwal R Vijalakshmi inspected the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) control room head office and took stock of the situation in the various parts of the city. Following the visit, the Mayor said, “Since yesterday the amount of rainfall is between 1.5 to 6.4 cms in the different parts of the GHMC, and the complaints received is 383, so far solved is 375 and remaining 8 are in process of completion.”

“All precautions have been taken at 197 lakes and teams have been engaged to supervise the flow of water into lakes, if the situation requires sluice gates will be lifted to allow water to recede.  To control the seasonal diseases, the entomology wing has already taken up pre-monsoon activities like fogging, spraying and continuing anti larva activities,” added the Mayor.

The Mayor also visited the GHMC Command and Control room and inspected the preparedness of the emergency teams. According to GHMC, there are 89 water logging points across Hyderabad, out of which 20 are located in the old city. Teams have been deployed to address the water logging and to clear traffic.  

Hyderabad citizens can contact 040-21111111 and 04029555500 to register their complaints.  The officials present in the Control are from GHMC, HMWW&SB Electricity etc.

Irrigation projects in the state are receiving heavy inflows due to rains in the catchment areas. Gates of Komaram Bheem project in Asifabad district were opened to let the water flow downstream. Medigatta, Saraswati and Parvati barrages under Kaleshwaram project were also receiving inflows. Authorities opened the gates to release the water.

According to meteorologists, the state is receiving widespread rains under the impact of cyclonic circulation over northwest and adjoining west central Bay of Bengal off south Odisha north Andhra Pradesh coasts.

(With agency inputs)