As incessant rain continues to hit Hyderabad and other parts of Telangana throwing the normal life out of gear, more than a million people in the city are reeling under the impact of flooding of the low-lying areas.
As the death toll in the rain related mishaps over the last three days in the two Telugu States of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh had mounted to 16, Telangana Municipal Administration Minister K Taraka Rama Rao told the mediapersons that National Disaster Relief Force (NDRF) and the Army were put on alert to help the administration if the need arises.
Rama Rao reviewed the situation at a high level meeting at the Control Room of Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC). The meting was attended by several other Ministers and top officials including the GHMC commissioner B Janardhan Reddy.
The Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao who was still in New Delhi was in touch with the top officials over phone and directed them to start assessing the damage due to the heavy rains and floods. He also appealed to the Center to come forward to help the State Government in the hour of need.
In Medak, which received heavy rains over the last two days, a house collapsed killing two people. The victims were identified as Kalavathy, 35 and 8 year old Tulasi.
While nine people died in Andhra Pradesh, 7 deaths were reported from Hyderabad and other places in Telangana.
A house also collapsed in Habeebnagar area of Hyderabad while traffic was hit in Banjara Hills when a big tree fell down on the road.
Railway traffic was also hit as flood water was flowing over the tracks in Tandu in Ranga Reddy district.
Water clogging at several places including Raj Bhavan Road, lakdi Ka Pul, Punjagutta, Masab Tank, Basheerbagh, Chilkalguda, Amberpet has also brought the traffic to a grinding halt.
For the people badly hit by the record breaking rainfall over the last few days no immediate relief was in sight as the Indian Meteorological Department has forecast more heavy rains over the next 24 hours in Hyderabad and other parts of the two States. Cyclone Warning Center at Visakhapatanam said that low pressure area had intensified and lay centered over north coastal Andhra, Chhattisgarh and Telangana. Due to this moderate to heavy rains were likely to occur over Hyderabad and parts of Telangana and coastal Andhra till Saturday, it said.
On Friday sky over Hyderabad was overcast with intermittent rains forcing the people to stay in doors.
As the heavy rains have turned the life upside down in many parts of Hyderabad and extensively damaging the roads making smooth flow of traffic impossible, the state government has declared holidays to schools and colleges on Friday and Saturday. The authorities have also appealed to the people not to venture out of their homes if they can avoid.
Schools were also closed in Ranga Reddy, Medak, Warangal and Nalgonda districts.
“The situation in Hyderabad is under control. I urge the people not to believe in any rumors. The administration is working round the clock to clear the stagnant water from the low lying areas and we have moved people from the vulnerable places”, said the municipal administration minister Taraka Rama Rao who visited many affected areas till midnight.
As the level of water in Hussain Sagar was above danger mark, the authorities were still discharging the water through outlets. “we are releasing 4500 cusecs of water from Hussain Sagar”, a GHMC official said.
The minister denied the rumors of threat of Hussain Sagar developing breaches. He said that the government was extending all the necessary relief to the affected people. Hare Rama Hare Krishna had also prepared 10000 packts of ready to eat food.
In Kukatpally area, which was among the hardest hit many colonies of Nizampatnam and Bhandari outlay were still under water. “As cellar of our building is under many feets of water, we are not able to come out. There is no electricity and there is no milk for children”, Brahmanandam, a resident of Bhandari layout, said.
IT companies, concentrated in and around Madhapur and Gachchi Bowli have asked their employees to work from home in view of the advisory from the government.
Jayesh Ranjan, Secretary, Information Technology Department said, “we have asked the Association of the IT companies to issue an advisory to all the IT firms in this effect”.
Union Minister of state Bandaru Dattatreya also visited Narayanguda area where a drain was over flowing following the discharge of water from Hussain Sagar. He advised the state government to prepare a long term plan to clear all the drains of encroachments to find a permanent solution to the problem. He rued that all the governments in the past had ailed to find a long term solution to the problem.
“If the state government chalks out a plan I will seek the help from the Center for its implementation”, he told the media.