Hyderabad: Heavy rainfall across the state claimed one life today, when a man in Asifabad district got swept away in by a stream of rushing water which he tried to cross. Similar scenes also played out in Nirmal district, where National Disaster Response Force personnel were brought in for relief. The teams rescued many people including a pregnant woman and a 11-day baby GNR Colony in Nirmal town, reported local media.
Due to the dangerous situation in northern Telangana, chief secretary Somesh Kumar today held a teleconference with district collectors and superintendents from 16 districts. He instructed them to take immediate measures on a war footing to prevent any loss of life and damage to property. Kumar also directed the collectors to closely monitor the situation, and told them people in low-lying areas should be evacuated if needed.
While Hyderabad has been witnessing intermittent rains over the last three days, villages and other parts of Nirmal and Adilabad districts have been literally cut-off from the rest of the state due to the floods. Both districts received heavy rainfall on Thursday. In Sircilla district, the newly constructed collectorate office also was flooded heavily. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) issuing a red warning forecast for the next few days as well.
According to the Telangana State Planning and Development Society’s website, the highest rainfall recorded today was 197.8 millimetres (mm) at Jagityal, while the second and third top highest rains of 194 mm and 176.8 mm were recorded from Kumaran Bheem district. In Nirmal, Sarangapur area witnessed 164.5 mm of rainfall today, with other parts of the district witnessing showers between 60 and 136 mm.
On a lighter note in Nirmal district, people were also seen fishing on the streets after lakes and streams began overflowing due to heavy rains that lashed northern parts of Telangana. In the Greater Hyderabad area on Thursday, rainfall remained light at most places. Saidabad and other areas like Serilingampally received showers at over 20 mm.
As heavy rains continued to batter the state, Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao instructed the officials concerned and public representatives to take preventive measures given the flood increasing Godavari river catchment area. NDRF teams have been deputed at Nirmal town, which has now submerged in water. The average rainfall in the district was 146 mm, with as many as 13 mandals receiving large excess rainfall.