Heavy rains in Telangana have killed at least 19 people so far, including as thunderstorms accompanied by lightning struck in isolated locations across the state, including the capital Hyderabad. Incessant rains since Tuesday sent the capital city reeling under severe waterlogging and flooding in some low-lying areas.
The Met department issued a yellow alert for Hyderabad on Wednesday, while the state government declared public holidays Wednesday and Thursday for all private institutions, offices and non-essential services within Outer Ring Road in light of the rains. He also advised people to stay indoors as much as possible.
The IMD said the subcyclone system or “deep depression” will likely disappear in a day, but will regain its strength once it crosses the coast of Maharashtra on October 16. Earlier in the day, he also said the depression ended Western parts of Telangana would move northwest and weaken to a low pressure area in 12 hours.
Vanasthalipuram, Dammaiguda, Attapur Main Road and Musheerabad were some of the areas of Hyderabad that faced severe waterlogging due to incessant night rains. Many areas in central parts of Hyderabad such as Begumpet, Ameerpet and Panjagutta also faced flooding.
As Hyderabad witnessed record nightly rains, GHMC authorities were forced to open the gates of the Himayat Sagar Dam, which supplies Hyderabad, on Tuesday night, causing flooding in many surrounding areas.
The magnitude of the calamity that hit Hyderabad can be gauged by the fact that the city recorded the worst rainfall during October in the last 100 years – around 200mm.
The government takes action
The Minister of Municipal Administration and Urban Development, KT Rama Rao, and the Minister of Livestock, Talasani Srinivas Yadav, held an emergency meeting with senior officials and reviewed rescue and relief operations in the city. The GHMC Mayor, Deputy Mayor, MLA, and other representatives and elected officials were ordered to be available in the field and to continuously monitor and coordinate relief measures.
Rama Rao also ordered collectors from Hyderabad and Ranga Reddy districts to coordinate with the police and the Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MAUD) department to move people residing in low-lying areas and on the banks of the Nalas rivers. and Musi to relief shelters.
As several trees and utility poles were uprooted due to the flood, Rama Rao asked officials from Telangana State Southern Power Distribution Company Limited (TSSPDCL) to coordinate with MAUD and the police to ensure that they were restore power as soon as possible. Power supplies were suspended in most of the state capital on Tuesday as a precaution.
An official statement released late Tuesday night stated that Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao had ordered the district administration to be on high alert, Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar also urged the district’s collectors to remain vigilant. and strictly follow the flood protocol communicated above.
Politicians fall to the ground
Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi, who has been monitoring the flood situation since the rains began to affect the city, visited the Bandlaguda and Karwan areas on Tuesday night to oversee rescue efforts there.
#HyderabadRain I was at a local inspection in Mohammedia Hills, Bandlaguda where a private border wall fell resulting in the death of 9 people and injury to 2. From there I took the bus passengers stranded in Shamshabad, now I am on my way to Talabkatta and Yesrab Nagar … pic.twitter.com/EVQCBdNTvB
– Asaduddin Owaisi (@asadowaisi) October 13, 2020
Later on Wednesday, Rama Rao together with MP CM Mahmood Ali and Owaisi visited the towns of the old city affected by the floods.
In the evening, MoS Home G Kishan Reddy visited the areas affected by the rain and called on people to stay indoors for the next 1-2 days. “The teams of the National Disaster Response Force and the Army are carrying out rescue operations,” he added.
Meanwhile, Interior Minister Amit Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with the CM on Wednesday and secured all possible aid to the state government.
Rescue operations
With several low-lying areas flooded, rescue efforts were in full swing throughout the city.
While two more NDRF teams arrived in Hyderabad overnight to assist with relief efforts in Hyderabad and other parts of Telangana, the Indian Army was also involved in the efforts later that day.
Army personnel launched relief and rescue columns in the event of flooding in the Bandlaguda area following a state government requisition, according to a Defense statement.
Many stranded people were evacuated and a large number of food packages were distributed. “The army medical teams accompanying the columns are providing essential first aid and medical assistance to the stranded people,” the army said.
The NDRF said it evacuated more than 1,000 people from flooded areas in Hyderabad and Rangareddy districts. Four NDRF teams participated in rescue operations.
“Today NDRF teams have rescued 22 people and evacuated 1,165 people in Hyderabad and Rangareddy after the cities were flooded. Evacuation operations continue as large numbers of citizens are trapped inside their homes and they seek help, “he said.
The State Department of Fire and Disaster Response Services also conducted rescue operations in the Toli Chowki area.
On Tuesday night, up to 33 passengers from a state bus were rescued after the vehicle got stuck due to flooding on a highway in Uppal within the city limits.
Human tragedy
Two more deaths were reported Wednesday morning in the Chandrayangutta area, hours after eight people, including a small child, were killed in two incidents of wall collapse there. A senior police official said huge rocks rolled down a hill and smashed into two houses in Chandrayangutta on Tuesday night.
Three members of a family, including a child, were killed in a house collapse in the Gaganpahad area of Shamshabad on Wednesday morning, police said. Outside the city, three people were killed when a house collapsed in the Nagarkurnool district of Telangana.
A 40-year-old woman and her daughter died after the roof of their home collapsed in the Ibrahimpatnam area on Tuesday. The woman and her 15-year-old daughter were killed instantly, while her son escaped with minor injuries when the roof of their former home collapsed around 8:00 p.m. Tuesday.
In a dramatic image captured on camera, a man was apparently washed away by the avalanche of water in Hyderabad. It is still unclear if the man was rescued later. In the video, the man is seen being swept away by strong streams of rainwater as efforts are made to save him. The man tries to hold on to a pole that gets in the way, but fails when pushed by the strong currents. Two people are seen standing on an elevated path looking helplessly amid the screams of locals trying to save the man. A tire tube is also seen floating with it.
An ancient building next to the Akkanna Madanna Mahankali Temple in Haribowli collapsed on Wednesday night. However, no casualties were reported. To Ravi Kumar, Police Inspector of Moghalpura Police Station, he said: “An old building next to the Akkanna Madanna Mahankali temple in Haribowli collapsed today. The building was empty for two and a half years. It suddenly collapsed around 5 : 30 pm Wednesday. No victims have been reported. “
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