The unprecedented rains they left have left at least 13 people dead and several people in need of relief and rescue.
Several residential areas in Hyderabad and its suburbs remained flooded on Wednesday as record rains left at least 13 people dead and several people in need of help and rescue. The Telangana government has declared a two-day holiday on Wednesday and Thursday for all private institutions, offices and non-essential services within the Outer Ring Road and recommended that people remain inside unless it is an emergency.
Horrible videos of people being swept away by gushing water and vehicles being swept away by strong currents are also circulating on social media. While waterlogging is not new in Hyderabad, the severity of the floods has left many in disbelief, as dozens of colonies remained under water and national roads to Vijayawada and Bengaluru remained closed, even as the rains subsided on Wednesday.
The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has said that Hyderabad has received record rainfall in a 24-hour period since Tuesday. Heavy rains, caused by the impact of a deep depression on Telangana, caused storm drains and lakes that overflowed the streets. So what exactly caused the flood?
Unprecedented rains
According to data from the Telangana State Development Planning Society (TSDPS), Hayathnagar received the highest rainfall in a 24-hour period at 288.8mm at 8am on Wednesday. This was followed by Saroornagar at 275.3mm, Musheerabad at 258.3mm, Uppal at 257mm, Medipally at 242.3mm, Bandlaguda at 242.3mm, and Secunderabad at 232.5mm. All this, in a 24-hour period.
The IMD classifies rainfall between 115.6mm and 204.4mm as ‘very heavy’, and as of Wednesday morning, at least 23 areas in Hyderabad had received more than 205mm of rain in 24 hours. According to the IMD, with an average of 192 mm, this is the highest rainfall the city has received in decades.
The TSDPS data also shows that almost all areas under the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) have received excess rain this monsoon season with the Charminar area at the top, with a 105% deviation from normal. Areas like Rajendranagar received 99% excess rainfall, followed by Asifnagar (98%) and Saroornagar with 94%.
At 10 a.m. Wednesday, the GHMC said it received 236 complaints of drain overflow, waterlogging, downed trees, wall collapse, etc. on its helpline numbers, while ‘Dial 100’ received 1,211 complaints related to rain. The Disaster Response Force (DRF) with the help of fire service personnel and the police are responding to distress calls from people stranded in flood water.
Police said dozens of people were rescued from vehicles trapped in floodwaters at various locations.
Flooded roads, flooded houses as Hyderabad sees record rains #HyderabadRain #Hyderabad pic.twitter.com/bZMqloAVUj
– The news minute (@thenewsminute) October 14, 2020
Poor planning
Experts say the record rainfall is only part of the reason the city flooded. Many pointed to the encroachment of stormwater drains in Hyderabad and the lack of initiative to implement a sewer master plan, prepared by the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewer Board (HMWSSB) and the city’s master plan that is being developed by the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority. (HMDA).
Speaking to TNM, the Secretary of the Forum for Good Governance, Padmanabha Reddy, said: “Although it was a heavy rain, it could still have been handled. Due to unplanned growth, especially in low-lying areas and areas under the old tanks of the city, the water overflowed and flooded entire colonies. Occupation of storm drains was the other reason for the floods. “
“For now, the concentration should be on relief and rescue. After about a week, work should begin on a master drainage plan, which successive governments have been talking about for 20 years,” he added.
Public policy expert Dr. Narasimha Reddy Donthi noted: “Wherever I have seen large pools of water, they are all created by unplanned construction. Even below the Hyderabad Metro Rail median, there was no plan for flooding. It was the same case with the PVNR highway, and this resulted in a huge flooding. “
“We have created barriers to the flow of water through the city and the heavy rains will obviously have an impact. We need a city-based flood plan because now we know where the water is collecting and how it flows. We need to fix this and that. it involves, first, repairing existing storm drains, “he added.
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