Hyderabad: Heavy rain over the past week has left many districts of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh under water displacing thousands of people.
In Telangana, where the rains have wrecked the northern districts of Karimnagar and Warangal, and river Godavari was flowing above the danger mark, the state government has put the administration on high alert.
At least 5 people died in various rain related incidents in Telangana, officials said. Two people died when a house collapsed in Nagar Kurnool. In Siddipet a local leader of Telangana Rashtra Samiti party, Jangi Reddy, drowned in a flooded rivulet while he was travelling in a car with his three friends. Others were rescued.
In addition to the two helicopters of the state government, a helicopter of the Indian navy was also being used for rescue and relief operations.
In Warangal, one of the major urban centres in the state, several residential areas and colonies were under water. Such was the impact of the floods that a national highway was also washed away.
National Disaster Relief Force and police were using mechanised boats to evacuate marooned people from flood hit areas of Warangal. More than 5,000 people were evacuated in Warangal alone.
In Hyderabad, the Hussain Sagar lake in the heart of the city had filled up to the maximum level and the authorities were keeping a close watch on the situation. Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation’s emergency teams were shifting people in low lying areas to safer places.
The flood waters had entered several colonies in Hyderabad where maximum rainfall of 54.5 mm was recorded in the last 24 hours.
In sharp contrast to Hussain Sagar, the historic reservoir of Osman Sagar in Hyderabad remains dry. It was the first time in the 100-year history of the reservoir that it did not receive inflows at the peak of monsoon. Experts say that illegal constructions around the reservoir turning its catchment area into concrete jungle have closed the channel of waters endangering its very existence.
While there was some respite from the rain in Hyderabad on Monday, rain continued to lash other parts of the two Telugu states. Indian Meteorological department has warned that rains over the Telugu states will continue for a few more days as there was a low pressure area over Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh and another low pressure area was developing in the Bay of Bengal.
“We have alerted the police department in the entire state to avert any emergency situation and prevent the loss of life,” Director General of police Mahender Reddy said.
Several rivers and rivulets and irrigation projects were overflowing due to the continuing rains forcing the authorities to open dams gates.
The Godavari river was flowing over the danger mark in Bhadrachalam town of Telangana and people living along the course of the river were asked to remain vigilant.
