Telangana reels under heavy rains; IMD issues yellow alert as floods, traffic disruptions hit multiple districts
HYDERABAD/ADILABAD/MEDAK/KAMAREDDY : After a gap of nearly two weeks, heavy rains lashed Hyderabad and several parts of Telangana on Thursday evening, with showers continuing through the night and leaving several areas waterlogged. The downpour turned moderate as the night progressed, but caused crop damage, structural collapses, and traffic disruption in multiple regions.
According to the Telangana State Development Planning Society (TGDPS), Mallampally in Mulugu recorded the highest rainfall at 21.7 cm, followed by Chigurumamidi in
Karimnagar at 21.13 cm. In Hyderabad, Hayathnagar received 11.4 cm of rainfall, while Defence Colony in Hayathnagar reported 10.3 cm. Within GHMC limits, the average rainfall stood at 3.8 mm against the normal of 5.4 mm.
IMD issues yellow alert
Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a yellow alert for heavy rainfall at isolated places in several districts, including Nirmal, Nizamabad, Jagtial, Rajanna Sircilla, Nalgonda, Suryapet, Mahabubabad, Rangareddy, Hyderabad, Medchal-Malkajgiri, Vikarabad, Kamareddy, Mahbubnagar, Nagarkurnool, Narayanpet, Wanaparthy, and Jogulamba Gadwal. Thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and gusty winds up to 40 kmph are also likely in all districts.
In erstwhile Adilabad district, relentless rainfall has led to heavy inflows into local water projects and disruptions across the region. The Kadam project alone received an inflow of 11,649 cusecs, prompting the release of 12,385 cusecs through two gates. Rising river levels forced a halt to transportation on the low-level bridge near Tharnam village in Bhoraj mandal, as water overflowed the structure.
The downpour also took a toll on infrastructure, with the back wall of the district collectorate office collapsing under pressure. Luckily, the section was unoccupied at the time, and no casualties were reported.
Harvests suffer damage
The recent rains have severely impacted agriculture, with cotton crops in the flowering stage suffering extensive damage, leaving farmers anxious about their investments. In the district, 5.3 lakh hectares were cultivated this Kharif season. While timely rainfall in June and July had raised hopes for a bumper harvest, the heavy rains since August have shattered those expectations by damaging cotton flowers.
According to a survey by agriculture officials, crop losses were reported over 36,990 acres in Nirmal and Adilabad districts, with Adilabad alone accounting for 17,490 acres—mostly cotton—and Nirmal reporting 19,500 acres, mainly paddy and cotton.
In Medak, Thursday’s heavy downpour of 17 cm within just three hours inundated low-lying areas and the main road in the district headquarters town, submerging parked motorcycles up to half their height.