9 die as heavy rains lash many parts of Telangana

Hyderabad, Sep 01: Nine persons died in separate rain-related incidents in Telangana as heavy downpour continued to lash many parts of the state including Hyderabad on Sunday.

Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy held an emergency review in view of the incessant rains in the state and spoke to ministers over phone and relief measures in submerged areas, an official release said.

The chief minister, who held a teleconference with senior officials, asked officials of Municipal Administration, Energy, Panchayati Raj and other departments, to be alert for the next 24 hours.

He directed district Collectors, SPs, Revenue, Irrigation and Municipal officials to conduct field visits in flood-hit habitations. The authorities have been instructed to take immediate relief measures in flood-hit areas.

Following heavy rains, rivulets were in spate and low-lying areas were inundated at several places in the state and flood water disrupted road links between villages. Trees were uprooted under the impact of the heavy rain and winds, while branches of trees have fallen on roads.

Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy said precautionary measures taken in time resulted in saving of lives and property.

Despite the measures, nine persons lost their lives in various parts of the state in separate rain-related incidents, he said.

Three persons were also feared washed away in Mahabubabad and Khammam districts.

In other districts like Suryapet, Bhadradri Kothagudem, Mahbubabad and Khammam authorities evacuated residents of several flood-hit villages to safety, the Minister said.

He said some people have been shifted to relief camps in Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation limits as a precautionary measure as there is a possibility of rain-soaked old houses collapsing.

He said the District Collectors have been asked to declare a holiday for educational institutions as per local conditions on September 2.

Due to the forecast of heavy rains in Hyderabad district, a holiday has been declared for all Primary and Secondary Schools, under all managements (Government, Aided, and Private) on September 2, as a precautionary measure to ensure the safety of the children, officials said.

Residents of a locality in Khammam district were stranded on the rooftop of their houses as the locality was surrounded by flood waters. TV channels showed the residents pleading for help.

In its weather warning, the Met Centre here on Sunday said very heavy to extremely heavy rain is very likely to occur at isolated places in Adilabad, Nizamabad, Rajanna Sircilla, Yadadri Bhuvangiri, Vikarabad, Sangareddy, Kamareddy and Mahabubnagar districts of Telangana till 8.30 am of September 2. It issued a red alert for this forecast.

Srinivas Reddy said district Collectors and police officials should be alert in view of the forecast of heavy rains till tomorrow to prevent any loss of life and property.

Due to heavy rains and waterlogging over the tracks at several locations on South Central Railway network, as many as 99 trains were cancelled and four trains were partially cancelled while 54 trains were diverted, an SCR official said.

Union Minister of State for Home Bandi Sanjay Kumar in a post on 'X' said, "Informed Hon’ble Union Home Minister Shri @AmitShah ji about the severe situation in Telangana's Khammam & that 110 villages in the district have been submerged, 9 people are stranded on Prakash Nagar hillock, 68 people on Azmeera Thanda hillock in Palair constituency, and 42 others are trapped on buildings."

Following the Home Minister's orders, nine NDRF teams, three each from Chennai, Visakhapatnam, and Assam, have been dispatched to Telangana, Sanjay Kumar said.

He said he spoke with senior NDRF officials to coordinate rescue efforts and also discussed the situation and the ongoing rescue operations with Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy.

A portion of gravel under the railway track near Kesamudram in Mahabubabad district was washed away due to floodwaters, resulting in passengers on a train being stranded at Kesamudram railway station.

The SCR official said due to incessant rains in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana over the past 24 hours there has been flooding and breaches in Kazipet to Vijayawada section and five trains in that section were stranded even as officials moved 15 trains via a diverted path.

Due to heavy rains, water is flowing on NH 65 at Chillakallu and Nandigama in Andhra Pradesh and the Paleru river is overflowing on the road at Nayakinigudem on the way from Suryapet to Khammam in Telangana, police said.

Therefore, vehicles have been stopped on this route and those going to Vijayawada via Suryapet and those going to Khammam should put off their journey, Suryapet District Superintendent of Police Sunpreet Singh said in a release.

Hyderabad also witnessed heavy rains and the continued overnight downpour led to waterlogging in many parts of the city.

Malyal in Mahabubabad district received the highest rainfall of 40 cm followed by Mahabubabad 37 cm and Kodada in Suryapet district 35 cm (till 8.30 am on Sunday).

In the wake of copious inflows in irrigation projects and reservoirs due to heavy rains in the state, Revanth Reddy and Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy instructed the Irrigation officials to take necessary measures to store the heavy inflows in the reservoirs for future needs.

Irrigation authorities have been asked to store water in ponds, reservoirs and other water bodies in the respective projects, another official release said.