HYDERABAD: Three persons were reportedly washed away in separate incidents after falling into open nalas following heavy rains in Hyderabad on Sunday night.
Police said two youths, Arjun and Rama, both under 25, were swept away after falling into the overflowing Afzalsagar nala between 7.30 pm and 8 pm. In another incident, a man fell into a nala in Musheerabad and went missing.
Rescue teams from the Fire Safety department and Disaster Response Force (DRF) have launched search operations for the missing persons.
Waterlogging reported in city
Meanwhile, drizzles through Sunday afternoon turned into heavy rains across Telangana by evening. Hyderabad bore the brunt, with waterlogging and traffic diversions reported in several parts of the city, disrupting weekend plans for many residents.
Water stagnation was reported from Jubilee Hills, Tolichowki, Shaikpet nala, Biodiversity Junction, Raidurgam, Malakpet and Azamabad. Hyderabad Traffic Police diverted vehicles from Rethibowli towards the Shaikpet nala and from Nanalnagar towards Langar Houz to ease congestion. Personnel from the three commissionerates — Hyderabad, Cyberabad and Rachakonda — were deployed at key junctions, while HYDRAA teams worked to clear waterlogged stretches.
Due to waterlogging in several areas, aggregator services such as Ola, Uber and Rapido were hit, with many drivers cancelling rides fearing vehicle breakdowns. Fares also doubled, and rides were accepted only when passengers agreed to pay extra.
Musheerabad records highest rainfall
According to the Telangana Development Planning Society (TGDPS), as of 9 pm, Musheerabad recorded the highest rainfall at 12.1 cm, followed by Maredpally (9.55 cm) and Shaikpet (9.43 cm). However, despite the downpour, no major snarls were reported as many residents stayed indoors, in view of the India vs Pakistan cricket match. “Escaping the heavy traffic snarls, match comes to the rescue,” one X user posted.
Elsewhere in Telangana, the rains were less intense. Venkatapuram in Mulugu district recorded the highest 24-hour cumulative rainfall at 10.68 cm, followed by Annapureddipalle in Bhadradri Kothagudem (8.13 cm).
The IMD issued a yellow alert for heavy rains at isolated places in Adilabad, Nirmal, Nizamabad, Vikarabad, Sangareddy, Medak, Kamareddy, Mahbubnagar and Narayanpet districts, warning of thunderstorms with lightning and gusty winds (30–40 kmph).
The state’s average rainfall on Sunday stood at 13 mm against the normal 4.8 mm. Karkagudem in Bhadradri Kothagudem recorded the day’s highest maximum temperature at 34.9°C. In Hyderabad, average rainfall was 8.2 mm (normal 5.1 mm), with Bada Bazar Community Hall, Ahmednagar logging the highest maximum temperature at 31.4°C.
Cumulatively, Telangana has received 830.2 mm of rainfall from June 1 to September 14, 27% above the normal 655 mm. Within GHMC limits, the total stood at 663.6 mm, 24% above the normal 537.1 mm.