Heavy rainfall lashed several districts across Telangana on Thursday, with the state administration on high alert after a forecast by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) warned of heavy to extremely heavy rainfall across the state up till Friday morning. Officials attributed the weather to the influence of a depression moving over Chhattisgarh in addition to the active southwest monsoon.
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In Nirmal district, heavy inflows into the Kadem Narayana Reddy Project prompted authorities to lift five spillway gates and release floodwater downstream. The reservoir’s water level has risen to 693.10 feet, close to its full reservoir level of 700 feet. Officials said they were releasing 38,140 cusecs of water after raising five gates by eight feet and have advised residents living in downstream areas to remain alert.
State revenue minister Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy directed district administrations to remain on high alert and ensure that no inconvenience is caused to the public.
During a teleconference with revenue and disaster management officials on Thursday, the minister reviewed the rainfall situation over the past two days and the forecast for the next 48 hours.
He instructed officials to continuously monitor districts likely to receive heavy rainfall, strengthen safety measures near rivers, streams, tanks and reservoirs, and immediately shift people from vulnerable areas to safer locations or relief camps whenever necessary.
District collectors were asked to coordinate closely with the police, revenue, panchayat raj, municipal, electricity, irrigation and health departments to ensure prompt rescue and relief operations in case of emergencies.
Special emphasis was placed on Hyderabad, where authorities were instructed to ensure uninterrupted traffic movement, power supply and drinking water services despite the ongoing rainfall.
The minister directed HYDRAA, the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) and the traffic police to work in coordination to minimise disruptions to normal life.
Roads and buildings minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy also held a review meeting with senior R&B officials to assess the impact of the rains on roads, bridges, low-level causeways and culverts across the state.
Meanwhile, Hyderabad also witnessed continuous rainfall, leading to waterlogging in several parts of the city. The weather department has warned that heavy rain is likely to continue for another two days, particularly in the evening
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According to a weather bulletin from Telangana state development planning society, as many as 13 places across the state received heavy rainfall ranging from 118 mm to 165 mm up to 8 am on Thursday, with Wazeedu in Mulug district recording the highest rainfall of 165.8 mm.
The bulletin said Tapalpur in Mancherial district received 162.mm rainfall between 8 am and 6 pm on Thursday, followed by 149.5 mm in Kolvai in Jagitial district and 127.5 mm at Bharampur in Adilabad district.
The Hyderabad Meteorological Centre issued a red alert for Adilabad and Jagtial districts, warning of extremely heavy rainfall up till Friday morning. An orange alert was issued for Nizamabad, Rajanna Sircilla, Karimnagar, Peddapalli, Jayashankar Bhupalpally and Mulugu districts.
A yellow alert was issued for Hyderabad, Rangareddy, Medak, Hanamkonda, Jangaon, Warangal, Mahabubabad and Bhadradri Kothagudem districts.
Relentless rain in Adilabad, Nirmal, Mancherial, and Kumuram Bheem Asifabad districts caused streams and rivulets to overflow and tanks to reach full capacity. In Utnoor, Narnoor and Jainoor, the Narsapur and Shantapur streams overflowed and disrupted road links to many villages, officials said.
Authorities said they have intensified monitoring based on monsoon, disaster management and static-risk themes. High-capacity pumps have been deployed at waterlogging-prone locations to prevent flooding, they said, adding that officials concerned were paying special attention to the IT corridor, including Raidurgam, Biodiversity Junction and IKEA Junction, where traffic disruptions are likely during heavy showers.
