Heavy rains caused massive destruction in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, as more than 20 people lost their lives, with 15 people dying in Hyderabad alone. At least seven also died in Andhra Pradesh. The incessant rainfall also led to widespread waterlogging and the inundation of many low-lying areas in the states.
The government of Telangana has declared holidays on Wednesday and Thursday for all private institutions, offices, and non-essential services in Hyderabad after several localities in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) limits received very heavy to extremely heavy rainfall. Chief Secretary of Telangana, Somesh Kumar, has instructed the officials of all district administrations to remain on high alert. People have also been advised to stay indoors for the next two days as more rains are expected.
Casualties mounted steadily in Hyderabad as four members of a family, including a child, died due to a house collapsing in the Gaganpahad area of Shamshabad on the outskirts of Hyderabad. Ten people, including a toddler, also died in two incidents of walls collapsing in Hyderabad’s Chandrayangutta. In another incident, a 40-yearold woman and her daughter died in the Ibrahimpatnam area after the roof of their house fell on them.
Minister for Municipal Administration and Urban Development KT Rama Rao and Animal Husbandry Minister Talasani Srinivas Yadav held an emergency meeting with senior officials and reviewed the rescue and relief operations in the city. Police teams and personnel of the Disaster Response Force (DRF) of GHMC and NDRF evacuated several families from different localities that were flooded. 70 persons were also rescued in the Old City of Hyderabad.
Rama Rao has directed the Hyderabad and Ranga Reddy district collectors to coordinate with the police and Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MAUD) department to move people residing in low-lying areas and on the banks of Nalas and Musi rivers to relief shelters. Power supply was suspended in most parts of Hyderabad. Telangana State Genco and Transco CMD Sri Devulapalli Prabhakar Rao informed Chief Minister Sri K Chandrashekhar Rao that electricity organisations are on high alert following the heavy rains and flash floods and are involved in the restoration measures. “Electricity departments have also suffered huge losses in several places in the state. The electricity employees are working very hard despite the adverse weather conditions. Continue this spirit of work till everything is restored to normalcy,” CM K Chandrasekhar Rao directed the CMD.
Roadways were also hit as traffic jams were witnessed along the VijayawadaHyderabad highway and commuters were advised to take alternate routes while police personnel diverted vehicular movement on the city’s outskirts. Many have also blamed the flooding of roads in Hyderabad due to the encroachment of drains and ponds and the lack of initiative in implementing a sewerage master plan, which was exacerbated by the rains.
In Andhra Pradesh, Chief Minister Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy instructed officials to be on high alert. A review meeting was held in Amaravati on the situation arising out of the heavy rains and floods caused by the cyclonic storm crossing the coast. At the meeting, the Chief Minister directed the district administration to take adequate measures in flood-affected areas and announced an immediate relief of Rs 500 to each person taking shelter in the flood relief camps. Chief Minister Reddy has also directed the officials to focus on the restoration of power supply and repairs to damaged roads and told them to complete all the repair work on a permanent basis within the next 4-5 months.
The CM also asked officials to pay ex gratia to the kin of the ten persons who died during the heavy rains. Three fatalities were reported in Visakhapatnam, who died due to the collapse of a wall and drowning. As many as 350 houses were inundated in low-lying areas across 40 villages in 10 mandals. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) evacuated 900 people in the districts and moved them to seven relief camps where food and medical services are being provided.
At least 42 hectares of crops and 6.2 hectares of horticulture crops have been estimated to be damaged due to the rains. According to the Andhra Pradesh government, 439 mandals in the state have received excess rainfall and 189 received normal rainfall, while 42 witnessed deficit rainfall.