Flooded area in Andhra Pradesh.
Credit: PTI Photo
Hyderabad: Heavy rainfall triggered by a low-pressure system has battered Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, bringing normal life to a standstill across multiple districts. Incessant downpours have submerged low-lying areas, while floodwaters on roads are causing major inconvenience to commuters. Rivers, streams, and canals are overflowing in both states, with dangerous water levels disrupting connectivity between several villages.
In response to the heavy rainfall, state governments have declared holidays for educational institutions in several districts as a precautionary measure.
The relentless rains have claimed two lives in Warangal district. In Sakarasi Kasikunta village, 80-year-old Pasunoori Buchamma drowned in her sleep after floodwaters inundated her home. Mills Colony police have registered a case and are investigating.
In Narayanapuram village, 70-year-old cattle herder Kandikatla Uppalaiah was swept away by the overflowing Akeru Vagu while trying to save his buffaloes. His body was later recovered by authorities.
In another incident, 50-year-old Ellamma was rescued after falling into a canal near the old bus stand in Mahabubnagar.
Heavy rains continued to pound the region, with Nalgonda and Suryapet districts experiencing continuous rainfall over the past two days. In Nalgonda district’s Miryalaguda constituency, persistent rains over the last 48 hours have caused streams and canals to overflow.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) reported that three locations recorded over 20 cm of rainfall overnight, while seven of the state’s 33 districts received heavy rainfall ranging from 60 mm to 83 mm, with a state average of 27.2 mm.
All Irrigation Department officers in Telangana have been directed to stay at their stations and maintain round-the-clock vigil at dams, reservoirs, canals, and tanks as the state braces for days of heavy to very heavy rain.
Irrigation Minister Captain N Uttam Kumar Reddy issued emergency directives, authorising engineers to bypass red tape and use funds instantly for flood-related works, while instructing top officials to remain physically present at their assigned project sites for the next 72 hours.
Citing the latest IMD update, Uttam Kumar Reddy said Bhadradri Kothagudem, Jayashankar Bhupalpally, Khammam, Medak, Medchal-Malkajgiri, Mulugu, Sangareddy, Suryapet, Vikarabad, and Yadadri-Bhuvanagiri districts were likely to receive very heavy rain in the next 24 hours, while many other parts of Telangana could experience heavy rainfall over the next 72 hours.
“No officer is to leave station or apply for leave during this critical period,” he stressed. “From the smallest village-level structure to the largest dam site, every location must be watched closely. If you sense any danger or believe a situation is getting out of control, inform your district collector, your Chief Engineer, and the Irrigation Secretary immediately,” he told officials in a review meeting.
In Vijayawada, a house built on a hilltop in Veerayya Street, Tailor Peta, collapsed after continuous rainfall over the past three days. The collapse damaged four houses in the lower area when debris fell on them. Fortunately, no one was present in the house at the time, averting a major tragedy.
The IMD has issued flash flood risk indicators for East Godavari, Guntur, Krishna, West Godavari districts, and the Yanam region over the next 24 hours.
The low-pressure system in the Bay of Bengal is likely to intensify into a well-marked low-pressure area by Friday. The system currently remains steady in the west-central to northwest Bay of Bengal.
Officials predict that coastal Andhra Pradesh will continue to receive rainfall for the coming week. Yellow alerts were issued Thursday for Srikakulam, Manyam, Alluri, Vizianagaram, Nandyal, and Palnadu districts. The highest rainfall recorded in Andhra Pradesh on Wednesday night was Eluru 22 cm, Mummidivaram 18 cm, and Amalapuram 13 cm.
Local cautionary signals have been hoisted at the ports of Kalingapatnam, Visakhapatnam, Kakinada, and Machilipatnam as a precautionary measure.