HYDERABAD: A cloudburst on Wednesday night left Warsiguda near Musheerabad devastated, as an encroached nala overflowed and flooded dozens of homes. Families waded through sewage-filled water, their belongings floating around them.
At least 10 to 15 vehicles were swept away, and residents reported losses of Rs 30,000 to Rs 40,000. Many spent the night draining water and clearing muck, with no civic officials in sight.
Amid the chaos, stories of survival and anguish emerged, with residents questioning both civic negligence and citizens’ complicity.
For Shenaz, a young mother, the nightmare struck at the worst possible time. Just two weeks after a C-section, she was forced to scoop water from her inundated home while caring for two small children and a sick husband.
“We just moved here last month. It took me five hours to remove the water from my home. I have two kids, one three years old and another seven. This was the situation with just three hours of rainfall. What will happen if it continues for a day?” she asked, exhausted.
For Ali, who lives by the nala, the tragedy was not just about rain but years of neglect and reckless dumping of waste. Standing outside his damaged home, he pointed to piles of debris choking the nala.
“There are two reasons the nala overflowed. One is the rains, the other is the illegal dumping of waste. People throw garbage directly into the nala instead of the dustbins. It’s not always about blaming the government—we citizens also need to act responsibly to ensure the free flow of water.”
‘Betrayed by politicians’
Anger against political leaders ran high. Zoya Fatima, whose house was destroyed, said she felt betrayed. “During elections, leaders line up in our colony for votes. But not one has come now. All our food is gone, and my kids’ school bags and uniforms are lost. My husband is bedridden with a fever. Who will compensate for our losses? The leaders are in name only. Congress says it is the ‘people’s government’—but is it really standing by its people?”
The destruction stretched across entire lanes where vehicles were swept away by torrents. Another resident, Mohammed Shanawaz Khan, recounted the long, sleepless night. “We started removing water from our homes at 11 pm and finished at 6 am. We tied autos and two-wheelers with poles to stop them from being washed away. The damage is around Rs 30,000 to Rs 40,000. Earlier, we got compensation expeditiously. Now, no leader has even come to inspect. At least partial compensation must be given.”
Others described the misery of living with contaminated water and stench. Pointing to dark, foul-smelling bore water, one resident said, “It’s like we have been living in hell since last night. Sewage has mixed with the underground water. The stench, the flooding, the loss of food—at least 50 kg of rice was spoiled in our kitchen.”
Yet, amid the despair, there were glimpses of solidarity. Neighbours carried each other to safety, evacuated families from submerged homes, and worked side by side through the night.