HYDERABAD: After suffering from sweltering heat for several days, people breathed a sigh of relief after heavy rains lashed the city late on Tuesday evening, with several parts even experiencing hailstorms.
Serilingampally, Kukatpally, Bachupalle, Khairatabad, and several parts of Secunderabad recorded the highest amount of rainfall, according to the Telangana State Development Planning Society (TSDPS).
Areas such as Yousufguda, Koti, Gachibowli, Chandanagar, and Shaikpet also witnessed considerable showers. The average rainfall recorded in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) was 34 mm until 9 pm.
As per the GHMC’s EV&DM, water stagnated in many parts of the city, such as Rajendranagar, Khairatabad, Balanagar, the journalist colony in Panjagutta, Kavadiguda, and Narayanguda. Traffic was also disrupted, hampering the flow, due to water logging in these areas.
Between 6pm and 8 pm, the EV&DM received a total of 49 emergency calls, 32 of which were concerning the falling of trees and the rest for water stagnation. The highest number of road clearing operations were conducted at LB Nagar, Shilparamam, and Mettuguda. While clearing works were completed at 28 locations.
“We have 30 DRF (Disaster and Response Force) teams on the ground, with around 200 personnel and 25 officers attending to clearing road and water stagnation issues. Ever since the forecast was made, we have been on alert. The work is likely to be completed by late night or early morning,” EV & DM Director Prakash Reddy told TNIE, adding that the DRF teams will be alert in further days as well.
Meanwhile, power supply was also disrupted at several places as trees and electric poles were uprooted.
However, there was no disruption to the metro services, clarified HMRL MD, NVS Reddy. But as many as five MMTS services - three between Hyderabad and Lingampally and two between Secunderaabd and Falaknuma - were cancelled.
“The rainfall was much needed to provide respite from the heatwaves, but at the same time, travelling back home will get difficult now,” N Bala, a security guard outside a mall in Begumpet, told TNIE.
Three killed in lightning strike
As many as three people died by lightning and untimely rains in the state on Tuesday. Two labourers were killed on the spot when a poultry farm under construction collapsed due to heavy rains and gales in Lakdaram village of Kukunoorpally mandal. The victims were identified as Nagulu (35) Subramaniyan (40). Another person was killed due to lighting in Lakdaram village of Kukunoorpally mandal.