Army called in as floods worsen in Hyderabad

With the Met office forecasting more rains, Telangana government and Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation have asked the Army and NDRF to assist them in tackling the flood-like situation in the city.

Heavy downpour in the last three days crippled normal life in the city, plunging several colonies and neighbourhoods in knee-deep water. Overflowing sewage systems and water bodies also disgorged large amount of water into residential neighbourhoods, prompting the educational institutions to declare holiday till Saturday.

GHMC authorities have provided the maps of the worst-hit areas like Qutbullapur, Malkajigiri, Kukatpalli, Nizampet, Alwal, Hakimpet, Moula Ali and Gachibowli to the Army that prepared to step in for the rescue operations.

With parts of the IT and financial districts also reeling the deluge, state IT Secretary Jayesh Ranjan has issued an advisory to the IT company associations to either declare holiday for the companies or allow employees from home.

As rain began spreading to the neighbouring districts of Medak, Karimnagar, Warangal, Nalgonda and Khammam, road traffic between Hyderabad and the district headquarters has been severely ruptured.

Two women and a girl died in a wall collapse. Kalavathi (35) and Tulasi (8) were crushed by a crumbling house wall at Medak town, Shammama (60) was killed by a wall caving in at Mubarakpur in Sadashivapet mandal.

A man –Swamy (45)- was washed away in the flood waters as he tried to save his son at Kongur village of Kulcharam mandal. Bystanders saved his son. Incessant rains also disrupted coal production in open mines of Manuguru and other areas in Kothagudem region causing a loss of more than 50,000 tonnes.

In neighbouring Andhra Pradesh, heavy rains inundated low-lying areas in Srikakulam, Vizianagaram and East Godavari districts. The Palnadu region that bore the brunt of the downpour on Thursday limped back to normalcy, while Narsaraopet, Sattenapalle and Chilakaluripet towns are recovering. Traffic between Guntur-Kurnool road has been restored, but rail services in the Guntur-Secunderabad line were disrupted as part of the tracks were washed away.