HYDERABAD: Even before the city recovered from the massive inundation and a flood-like situation that threw life out of gear on Friday evening, heavy rain accompanied by loud claps of thunder and blinding bolts of lightning was witnessed in the city on Saturday.
The cloudburst which was first reported in LB Nagar zone around 5 pm spread to almost all the other areas of the city within the next 30 minutes. The intense rain triggered heavy inundation for the second consecutive day, as several low-lying regions across the city came under sheets of rainwater, with the GHMC building near Tank Bund recording 95.5 mm rainfall around 8.30 pm.
In several localities surrounding Saroornagar lake, water was seen entering not just the residential colonies and houses but also commercial complexes. The Asian Shiva Ganga theatre at Gaddiannaram in Dilsukhnagar was flooded with rainwater which led to the collapse of a compound wall. Almost 50 parked vehicles were damaged in the mishap, the locals said.
In Old City, life turned unpredictable for thousands of residents, especially those living in the downstream areas of Musi river, as heavy inflows from upstream areas led to opening of eight floodgates of Himayat Sagar and four flood gates of Osman Sagar with 5,600 and 2,250 cusecs outflows.
The residents living in these low-lying areas said they had nowhere to go if their localities were inundated. “The officials have alerted us about the flood for the fourth or fifth time this year and yet not enough shelters or arrangements have been made,” Fatima Begum, a resident of Shaikpet, said.
However, GHMC officials monitoring the situation said they have already issued a high alert in these areas and made necessary arrangements. “We have informed the locals that we are making all necessary arrangements in our community halls,” GHMC deputy commissioner, Charminar zone, G Rajnikanth said. Visuals of several vehicles and auto trolleys being swept away on the roads after the heavy rains on Friday also went viral on social media.
In Old City, rainwater entered into an Irani cafe, where the customers were seen sitting and having food with their legs covered in floodwater. Other videos showed auto trolleys and cars parked being swept away in areas where the currents were stronger. Among the flooded areas in Old City, Yakutpura, Tolichowki, Rein Bazaar, Moazzam Jahi Market, Noorkhan Bazaar, Dabeerpura, Chatrinaka, Bahadurpura and Azampura were the worst affected. The downpour also disrupted traffic across all the major thoroughfares. Several commuters took to Twitter and posted visuals of vehicles being stuck on roads due to heavy inundation.
