After dry August, Telangana now on orange alert for rains

The weather is continuing to seesaw between heavy rains and an utter dry climate in Telangana, with the State on Monday receiving an orange alert predicting ‘heavy to very heavy’ rain in some districts and heavy rain across multiple districts for the next two days. This is after floods in July were followed by a completely dry, rain-deficit spell in August.

Even as heavy rains continued to lash a few districts from Sunday night, the India Meteorological Department, Hyderabad on Monday issued an orange alert for Jagtial, Karimnagar, Peddapalli, Vikarabad, Sangareddy, Medak, Mahabubnagar and Nagarkurnool, while an yellow alert was issued for districts including erstwhile Adilabad, parts of erstwhile Karimnagar, Nizamabad, parts of erstwhile Warangal, Kamareddy, Siddipet, Wanaparthi, Narayanpet and Jogulamba Gadwal, both for Tuesday.

Monday saw heavy rains in parts of erstwhile Adilabad and erstwhile Karimnagar, where the highest rainfall of 153.5 mm was reported in Peddalingapuram, Ellanthakunta of Rajanna-Sircilla district followed by Metpalli of Jagtial with 150.8 mm. The situation has pushed the district administrations in these districts into an alert mode, with Rajanna-Sircilla Collector Anurag Jayanthi asking all government officials to be present in the district headquarters and to ensure that precautionary



measures were in place.

The IMD warning holds for Hyderabad and surrounding areas including Vikarabad as well, where rains continued from Sunday. The capital city too was placed under a yellow alert. The IMD said the Southwest monsoon was ‘vigorous’ over Telangana, with multiple weather systems contributing to the rainfall.

The Met department attributed the rains to a trough running from the cyclonic circulation over Northwest Bay of Bengal to East Bihar and another from this cyclonic circulation to Telangana in lower tropospheric levels. This weather pattern was expected to result in isolated very heavy rainfall in the State.

Meanwhile, with huge inflows into the Sriram Sagar Project (SRSP), Irrigation officials on Monday lifted four crest gates of the reservoir to let out 12,000 cusecs of water downstream. The current storage level of the reservoir was 1090.8 feet against the Full Reservoir Level of 1091 feet.

The inflows have been on the rise in the last two days due to continuous rains in the upstream areas. The project has been receiving 2500 cusecs of water since morning. As water is being released downstream, Irrigation officials asked the district administration of Nizamabad, Karimnagar, Jagtial and Nirmal districts to alert people living in catchment areas.