Torrential rains continued to lash the Telangana region on Friday, wreaking havoc. The heavy rains caused flash floods to River Godavari, its tributaries, streams and rivulets. One man, Bhaskar, died and two others were injured when an old building caved in at Kasibugga in Warangal district.
The Godavari is in spate and the water level is expected to reach 60 ft near Dowleswaram by early hours of Saturday. Third warning signal was issued at Bhadrachalam where the water level in the river reached 52 ft. Its tributaries Penganga and Pranahita, and several rivulets in the Telangana region are in spate. The overflowing streams cut road connectivity to several villages in Telangana region.
Officials in Adilabad, Khammam, Nizamabad and Karimanagar districts have been kept on a high state of alert to move people to safer places, if necessary. If the water level in the Godavari rises to 60 ft at Bhadrachalam, East Godavari and West Godavari districts in the Andhra region will be alerted against possible submergence of low- lying areas.
As of now, officials have kept ready five helicopters, one for supplying food packets and three for ferrying people. The National Disaster Management Authority has sent three teams to Khammam district to rescue people in case Godavari flood water enters villages.
“We are taking all precautions and see that no loss of human life occurs even if the water level in the Godavari reaches 60 feet,” revenue minister N Raghuveera Reddy said.
HEAVY DAMAGE: Officials started rescuing people from water-logged villages to safer places since Friday morning. As many as 45 families in Vengalropet in Khammam district were shifted to safer places. At Veerapuram in Bhadrachalam, four persons were trapped in flood waters but were rescued by officials. In Adilabad, cotton crop was submerged in 1,500 acres in Beemani mandal. The Beemani stream received flash floods, snapping road connectivity. RTC bus services to Beemani mandal were cancelled on Friday.Sirikonda mandal in Nizamabad was completely surrounded by rain water. Mutyalavagu, Dondlavagu, Tappalavagu were overflowing in Sirikonda mandal.
BUS CREW SAVED: In Adilabad district, streams are overflowing in Bejjur, Kagaznagar and Dahegam mandals. Teegalavagu was overflowing on the Bejjur-Penchikalapet main road. An RTC bus was caught in the swirling waters of Teegalavagu. There was no passenger on it. The driver and the conductor climbed over the bus and shouted for help. Locals and officials rushed to their rescue and brought them to safety with the help of ropes. Likewise, water overflowed on the Tatichettu bridge between Sirpur-T and Kowtal in Adilabad district, obstructing the vehicular movement.
In Warangal district, a huge tree got uprooted and fell across the Parakala-Bhupalapalli road, obstructing traffic. A similar incident occurred in KPHB Colony in Hyderabad in which five electric poles and two two-wheelers were damaged.
Due to floods to the Godavari, traffic was obstructed between Burgampadu-Bhadrachalam. As the flood waters entered homes in Sitaramangaram, Nadigudem and Venkatapuram in Burgumpadu mandal, people are being evacuated and shifted to relief camps.
As many as 14 villages in Mahadevpur and Mahamuttaram mandals in Karimnagar district are water-logged. Police involved in combing operations too were trapped in flood waters. A helicopter was hired to rescue people and policemen.
A car was washed away in Eedualavagu in Bejjanki mandal in Karimnagar district. However, three passengers travelling in the car saved their lives by jumping out of the vehicle in the nick of time.