Telangana on high alert as it battles heavy rains & rising floodwaters

The heavy rainfall has caused significant waterlogging, particularly in urban areas like Hyderabad, where streets have been submerged, leading to traffic congestion and disruptions in public transport.

Hyderabad: Heavy rains have impacted Telangana, leading to significant disruptions across the state.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued various alerts, including Red (for 11 districts), Orange, and Yellow warnings across the state, indicating the severity of the weather conditions expected over the coming days.

Current weather

As of Sunday, September 1, a depression in the Bay of Bengal has intensified, resulting in moderate to heavy rainfall across Telangana, particularly in Hyderabad and surrounding areas.

The IMD forecasts that this weather system will bring heavy rain, with some regions experiencing extremely heavy downpours.

Alerts have been issued for districts such as Adilabad, Nirmal, and Jogulamba Gadwal, where very heavy rainfall is expected.

Impact on daily life

The heavy rainfall has caused significant waterlogging, particularly in urban areas like Hyderabad, where streets have been submerged, leading to traffic congestion and disruptions in public transport.

Reports indicate that areas such as Tolichowki experienced knee-deep water, and several regions faced severe traffic jams during peak hours due to the downpour.

Additionally, the rains have resulted in dangerous conditions, including the collapse of structures and incidents of flooding.

Overflowing lakes, submerged bus

Overflowing lakes, tanks and streams cut off villages at few places in Mahabubnagar and Nalgonda districts. In Warangal district, a bus of Telangana State Road Transport Corporation was caught in floods at Topanapalli.

Passengers spent the night in the bus as flood water from a lake had submerged the road. Several trains were stopped, cancelled and diverted as the railway track was damaged due to floods at a few places in Mahabubabad district.

In view of the heavy rains, the state government has opened a special control room at the State Secretariat to monitor the situation. The Disaster Management Department has opened the control room with phone number 040-23454088.

Two cars and an autorickshaw driver were washed away in flood water in Kodad town in Suryapet district. The body of a man was found in one of the cars. The fate of others travelling in cars and three-wheelers is not known.

Vehicular traffic on Khammam-Suryapet highway came to a halt as the highway was submerged by flood water. Meanwhile, the water level was rising in the Godavari river at Bhadrachalam in Bhadradri Kothagudem district.

The water level was 27 feet on Sunday morning. According to the Telangana Development Planning Society, Huzurnagar in Suryapet district received the highest rainfall of 299.8 mm from 8.30 p.m. on Saturday to 6 a.m. on Sunday.

Inugurthy in Mahabubabad district recorded 298 mm rainfall. Chilkur in Suryapet district received 297.8 mm rainfall. Some areas in Mahabubabad, Khammam and Suryapet districts received 277 to 296 mm rainfall.

The met office has issued a red alert to 11 districts – Adilabad, Nirmal, Nizamabad, Mahbubabad, Jangaon, Kamareddy, Mahabubnagar, Nagarkurnool, Wanaparthy, Narayanpet and Jogulamba Gadwal.

These districts are likely to receive extremely heavy rainfall at isolated places over the next 24 hours. The met office has forecast heavy to very heavy rainfall in 11 other districts.

Government response

In response to the ongoing situation, Telangana’s chief minister Revanth Reddy has instructed all government departments to remain on high alert.

He emphasized the need for safety measures and the establishment of relief camps for residents in low-lying areas. District collectors have been empowered to declare school holidays if necessary, reflecting the seriousness of the situation.

The chief secretary has also directed the formation of control rooms in each district to monitor the rainfall and coordinate relief efforts.

Special officers are being appointed in flood-prone areas to oversee the management of overflowing streams and ensure the safety of residents.

Heavy rains in the next few days

The IMD anticipates that the heavy rainfall will continue into the next few days, with forecasts suggesting intermittent rain and thunderstorms.

Residents are advised to stay vigilant and prepared for potential flooding and other weather-related hazards as the monsoon season progresses.

Situation at Srisailam reservoir

The Srisailam reservoir, a major water storage facility shared by Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, is currently experiencing significant flooding as inflows into the project have surged dramatically.

As of September 1, 2024, the reservoir is reporting an inflow of 356,472 cusecs, while the outflow has reached 472,390 cusecs.

The reservoir’s full capacity is 885 feet, and it currently stands at 884.50 feet, indicating a critical situation as water levels approach their limits.

The total water storage capacity of the reservoir is 215.8070 TMCs, with the current storage level at 212.9198 TMCs.

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