Districts in north Telangana crippled by heavy rains

Hyderabad: The districts of Kamareddy, Medak, and Nirmal in north Telangana have been devastated by flash floods following two days of relentless rainfall. The Godavari River's tributaries—Manjira, Kadam, and Swarna have swollen beyond capacity, submerging vast areas under floodwaters.

Since Tuesday night, torrential downpours have blocked roads and inundated low-lying areas throughout the region. Coordinated rescue efforts involving Army and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams have saved over 1,000 people, with helicopters deployed to evacuate stranded farmers in Medak district.

In a remarkable 32-hour operation, Nirmal district administration, SDRF teams, and police successfully rescued a herder trapped by unprecedented flooding.

The meteorological impact has been severe across all three districts with Kamareddy receiving 536.9 mm cumulative rainfall over two days, with Kamareddy town alone received 266 mm. Floodwater reached first-floor levels in several buildings. In Medak District's Shadnagar area recorded 316 mm of rainfall. Nirmal's Akkapur witnessed 325 mm of rainfall.

Transportation networks have suffered extensive damage. The National Highway connecting Kamareddy and Nizamabad districts to Hyderabad has been completely severed due to flooding. Railway tracks sustained damage at multiple locations, while National Highway 44 at Kyasampally in Kamareddy, a crucial north-south corridor, has been severely compromised, stranding transport vehicles and prompting emergency repair efforts.

The Pocharam project in Nagireddy mandal received alarming inflows of 1.50 lakh cusecs on Wednesday, creating a large erosion pit near the facility. Though inflows have slightly receded, officials maintain high alert status.

In Kamareddy and Medak, residents face a triple crisis of flooded homes, disrupted water supply, and power outages. Entire villages have been cut off in Peddashankarampet and Ramayampet mandals, forcing residents onto rooftops and higher ground for safety.

Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy conducted an aerial survey of affected areas in Kamareddy and Medak alongside cabinet colleagues, directing officials to maintain round-the-clock high alert status.

In a separate but equally dramatic operation, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar coordinated the rescue of five elderly individuals trapped in Narmala village, Gambheeravupeta Mandal, Sircilla district. The victims Pitla Narsimulu, Dhyanaboyin Swami, Pitla Mahesh, Pitla Swami, and Jangam Swami were stranded when unexpected upstream floodwaters inundated their area.

Upon receiving distress information from District Collector Sandeep Kumar Jhaku, Bandi Sanjay immediately contacted Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, securing approval for Army helicopter deployment. Air Commander V.S. Shaini and Group Captain H C Chattopadhyay dispatched helicopters from Hakimpet, though initial attempts were thwarted by adverse weather conditions.

The successful airlift operation resumed once weather cleared, with four helicopters now stationed in Sircilla for ongoing relief operations.

"Politics should be avoided at this time. We are fully prepared to work in complete coordination with the state government to rescue victims. I thank Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Home Minister Amit Shah for their swift response," said Bandi Sanjay.