Telangana floods: Godavari in spate, houses collapse, streets turn into streams
As heavy rains continue to lash the State, several places in districts were flooded affecting normal life on Monday. While the reservoirs received heavy inflows forcing the officials to lift the gates, lakes too were overflowing with rainwater.
In Medak, as many as 15 houses collapsed. Though there were no casualties, at least one person was reportedly injured. Elsewhere, there were also reports of damage to crops. In the tri-cities of Warangal, Hanamkonda and Kazipet, streets turned into streams exposing the poor drainage system.
The intensity of rainfall, however, came down on Monday. Though very heavy to extremely heavy rains were expected, no such rains were reported till Monday night. But, the State is still under red alert on Tuesday and more rains are expected in the coming days.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao held a marathon 12-hour review on rains and floods on Monday and directed the officials to be on high alert, especially in Godavari river belt. He directed the Ministers, MLAs and all the officials to cancel their scheduled programmes and be available in their respective areas to help the people. He also urged people to cooperate with the officials as more rains are predicted for next one week to 10 days.
In Bhadrachalam, the mighty Godavari is in spate leading to the Bhadradri-Kothagudem district administration issuing the third and final flood warning. The water level of the river reached 53 ft at 4 pm on Monday.
Heavy rain continues to wreak havoc in State
Apprehending flooding of vulnerable areas, the officials have shifted as many as 207 families, comprising 581 persons living in villages in Pinapaka, Kothaguem, Dummagudem, Cherla, Bhadrachalam, and Burgampad mandals to 11 flood relief camps where food and other arrangements are being made for them.
The officials issued the first warning at 43 ft at 11.57 pm on Sunday and issued the second warning at 48 feet at 6.10 am on Monday. The inflows are increasing with the river’s catchment in the upper reaches receiving heavy rainfall. Taliperu project too is receiving huge inflows following heavy rains in Chhattisgarh.
The officials have lifted 19 gates and allowed flood waters downstream at the rate of 26,000 cusecs. Kinnersani in Palvoncha too is receiving flood waters necessitating the officials to lift seven gates and allow a discharge of 39,000 cusecs into the Godavari river.
The torrential rains have disrupted road transport to about 35 villages after Kinnerasani floodwater kept overflowing the road at several places between Rajapuram to Yanambailu. Transportation has been cut off to many villages with roads remaining submerged at some places between Bhadrachalam and Cherla. District collector D Anudeep and SP Dr Vineetha G are monitoring the flood situation in Bhadrachalam.
Lakes, ponds filling up fast in Sangareddy
In Sangareddy, the Singur project has received 1.5 tmcft water. The rains were filling up lakes and ponds across the erstwhile district of Medak. Apart from Singur, Nallavagu project in Narayankhed constituency, Pocharam project and Haldiwagu in Medak constituency were overflowing. At Singur project in Pulkal mandal, water was flowing in at the rate of 5,800 cusecs with the Manjeera catchment receiving heavy rainfall. The inflow came down to 3,000 cusecs by evening.
The full storage capacity of the Singur project is 29 tmcft and at present, the volume of the water in the project is about 20.3 tmcft. Nallavagu in Narayankhed constituency has been overflowing for the last two days and the floodwater is reaching the ponds and streams in the constituency so also is Gangapur project and Mahabub Sagar in Sangareddy district headquarters.
District Collector A Sarath visited Mahabub Sagar downstream areas of Sangareddy district and inspected the condition of lakes. The collector made it clear that children should not be allowed anywhere near the Mahabub Sagar as it was in spate. The Collector also ordered the reopening of a flood drain that a hotel owner had closed and has been using as a parking space.
The cotton crop has been submerged in many parts of the district and standing crops have gone under a sheet of water. Three houses collapsed in Khajipally village, two in Ryalamadugu and two in Guttakindipally of Medak mandal. Officials said houses were also damaged in villages of Regode, Chinna Shankarampet, Shivampet, Manoharabad, and also in Sangareddy, Siddipet, Cheryala and Husnabad.
reach river Musi on July 11, 2022. (Photo | R V K Rao, EPS)
Poor drainage system exposed in Warangal
With open sewage lines and nalas overflowing with floodwater, roads turned into streams as heavy rains continued to pound the tri-cities of Warangal, Hanamkonda and Kazipet on Monday. Warangal city, in particular, was badly affected throwing normal life out of gear. The residents of Telangana’s second largest city after Hyderabad are worried over an impending flood threat, unfenced open nalas and lack of proper drainage system.
This has been the case for many years as the State government failed to fulfil its promise of creating an underground drainage system in the tri-cities. G Naresh, a resident of Alankar in Hanamkonda, said: “Unfortunately, this (flooding) has become a seasonal phenomenon. Lack of proper drainage system is leading to flooding in many colonies every time there is a heavy downpour.
Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao had promised to construct an underground drainage system in the tri-cities. But it remains an unkept promise till this day as we continue to suffer during the monsoon,” he said. “The open sewage lines and nalas are overflowing with floodwater.
We cannot even step out of our houses. The civic officials and elected representatives failed to build boundary walls around open nalas in the city,” he added. Every season, sixty-six wards under the Greater Warangal Municipal Corporation (GWMC), which comprise over nine lakh population, become breeding grounds for mosquitoes, leading to spread of waterborne diseases.
Residents in Nirmal, Bhainsa living in fear of inundation
In the erstwhile Adilabad district, incessant rains have played havoc with the low-lying areas. The rains have triggered huge inflows into projects and damaged roads. Residents of several colonies in Nirmal and Bhainsa were living in fear of inundation as the release of water from projects has become imminent in Nirmal district.
Especially those living in GN Nagar Colony in Nirmal town are afraid of inundation from Swarna project as the officials have already started releasing water. The nightmare of how Swarna waters had damaged their abodes last year is still afresh in their memory. In Bhainsa, Autonagar and Rahul Nagar which are in low-lying areas were already af fected by flooding.
Endowments Minister A Indrakaran Reddy visited the flood affected areas and inspected the damage to the crops and roads in Parimandal and Kishan Raopeta in Nirmal constituency, Takli, Bedrelli, and Kirgul in Mudhole constituency. He assured people that the government would stand by them in this hour of crisis.
5.4 cm rain in Jagtial
Till 9 pm on Monday, Jagtial registered 5.4 cm, followed by Bhupalpally (5.1 cm), Asifabad (5.1) and Nirmal (4.5 cm). In Hyderabad, there was light rainfall. Among all areas, Kapra recorded the highest rainfall of 1.4 cm, followed by Qutbullahpur (1.3 cm), Kapra (1.1 cm), Malakjgiri (1.1 cm) and Shapur Nagar (1 cm).
ECET put off, no change in EAMCET
Hyderabad: In view of the continuous rains, TS ECET scheduled to be conducted on July 13 has been postponed. New schedule will be announced later. The Higher Education Department, however, has decided to conduct TS EAMCET as scheduled on July 14.
SCR cancels 34 MMTS services
Hyderabad: South Central Railway (SCR) has cancelled 34 MMTS services between Lingampally-Hyderabad, Falaknuma-Lingampally and Secunderabad-Lingampally till Wednesday.
Water released from Osmansagar
Hyderabad: As heavy inflows continue due heavy rains, 208 cusecs of water from Osmansagar and 686 cusecs from Himayatsagar was released into Musi river. The water level at Osmansagar was at 1,786 ft and at Himayatsagar at 1,760.55 ft.
Rs 3L ex-gratia for kin of deceased
Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao conveyed condolences to the families of three people who died during the heavy downpour in Nizamabad district. According to R&B Minister Vemula Prashanth
Reddy, the Chief Minister also decided to provide Rs 3 lakh financial assistance to their families. Of the three, two persons Makkala Nadipi Sailu, 45, and Darangula Reddy, 35, were washed away in
Nizamasagar canal in Lingithanda of Nizamabad mandal. Ebithwar Ganesh, a 45-year-old native of Bada Bheemgal of Balkonda Assembly constituency had died of electric shock.