KAMAREDDY: Kamareddy bore the brunt of extreme weather after a cloudburst on Tuesday night, followed by continuous downpours on Wednesday. A record 49.48 cm of rainfall was logged in Rajampet mandal — the highest in nearly four decades. Officials said such heavy rain had not been witnessed in the past 40 to 50 years.
The Kamareddy to Hyderabad part of NH 44 was closed after a stretch near Jangampalli was inundated, while NH-161 was also shut due to waterlogging. The sudden cloudburst left the town and several parts of the district reeling on Wednesday. Residents of Rajampet, however, got some respite as only 4 cm of rain was reported on Thursday.
The heavy rain and flash floods disrupted normal life, causing severe damage to infrastructure and agriculture fields. Both Nizamsagar and Pocharam projects received heavy inflows, forcing the release of water into the Manjeera river, diversion canals and downstream water bodies. Officials at the Nizamsagar project said they closely monitored the unprecedented inflows into Pocharam project, which had raised alarm on Wednesday.
Highways and several connecting roads were cut off, while the railway line at Rameshwarpally in Bhiknoor mandal was also affected, making travel difficult. Senior officials supervised rescue operations and shifted evacuees to relief camps. So far, one person has died and another is reported missing. More than 600 people, including students from tribal girls’ schools, were rescued and moved to safety.
Ground floors submerged
Kamareddy district, which has 25 mandals and an average rainfall of 192.5 mm, recorded extreme levels. Rajampet mandal received 498.9 mm, while Arogonda village saw 42 mm between 8.30 am and 3 pm on Wednesday. Ten mandals reported over 200 mm, with several areas crossing 300 mm by Thursday afternoon.
The district headquarters witnessed unprecedented flooding. Residents said they had not seen such inundation in 40 years. Colonies including GRT, Housing Board, Ashok Nagar and Teachers Colony were submerged, with water rising to the first floor of apartments in some areas. Localities along the Kamareddy–Yellareddy road were also under water.
Vehicles parked outside apartments and houses were submerged, while many were washed away. Owners were unable to save them due to the sudden rise in water levels. Several residents recounted their ordeal.
Ramesh, a resident of GRT Colony, said they had never witnessed such floods before and praised the rescue teams for their efforts. Many families sought shelter with relatives in safer parts of the town.
Rescue teams used ropes, carried people on their backs, and even evacuated livestock. SDRF and police personnel rescued women, children and infants from waterlogged areas, in some cases carrying them for more than half a kilometre. Students of the Tribal Welfare Residential School near Sarampally were also safely shifted after floodwaters surrounded the campus.
Similar scenes were reported in several villages across Kamareddy and Yellareddy Assembly constituencies. JCBs were deployed to recover washed-away vehicles and clear roads. Late on Wednesday, District Collector Ashish Sangwan and SP Police M Rajesh Chandra visited the affected areas in the rain to oversee rescue operations. The collector confirmed that more than 600 people had been shifted to relief camps.
Reeling from heavy downpour
With over 400 mm of rainfall recorded in less than 48 hours across the district, residents of low-lying areas were fraught with anxiety. Housing Board Colony resident Anjaneya Sharma recalled the tense hours when several people were stranded near Kondinya Colony: “Water surrounded the Pochamma and Misamma temples, trapping people inside without food or drinking water till midnight.
Rescue teams finally helped them reach home,” he said. He added that many families suffered damage to household items. “Furniture, books, certificates and clothes were ruined. Mud spread across verandas and rooms, and we had no power until this morning,” he said. In Yellareddy town, political activist N Srinivas said power outages hit students in welfare hostels and residential schools. “They struggled without water until Thursday evening and had to buy water for basic needs,” he said.
Pocharam Project standing strong
The 103-year-old Pocharam Project, located 36 km from Kamareddy, withstood a massive flood inflow of 1.82 lakh cusecs on Wednesday, far above its Maximum Flood Discharge (MFD) capacity of 70,000 cusecs. Nizamsagar project Chief Engineer T Srinivas said there was no threat to the dam despite the heavy inflows, which have since receded.
Minor repairs near the gates will be carried out with sandbags. Officials clarified that erosion was limited to the road on either side of the Pocharam bridge, with no structural damage to the project.
“After tense moments on Wednesday, it was a huge relief for me and irrigation employees to see the project holding strong.
This is truly a proud and emotional moment,” Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy said on Thursday. At Nizamsagar, 26 gates have been opened to release water into the Manjeera river, while relief camps continue in flood-hit areas.
Worst flooding in 40 years
Rajampet mandal recorded 494.8 mm, highest in nearly 40 years.
One death confirmed; one person missing.
Over 600 people rescued and shifted to relief camps.
Nizamsagar released 2.5 lakh cusecs into Manjeera river through 21 gates.