Heavy rains creates a havoc in Telangana

At least three persons, including a 7-year-old, were washed away in separate incidents as heavy rains continued to lash several areas, especially those in the northern districts of the State, paralysing normal life and snapping road connectivity on Tuesday.

Two persons — Kudukala Gangamallu and his seven-year-old son Vishnuvardhan were washed away in floodwaters near Mallannapet of Gollapalli mandal of Jagtial district. Gangamallu and his son Vishnuvardhan went to Mallannapet on a two-wheeler. On their way back, they got washed away in the floodwater while crossing a low-level bridge between Vengalapur-Mallannapeta. Their bodies were fished out by police.

In another incident, three shepherds along with 350 sheep got stranded on an island surrounded by floodwaters near Vemulakurthi in Ibrahimpatnam mandal of Jagtial district. Residents of Vemullakurthi — Basa Somanna, Alkunta Lasmanna and Nemuri Chinna Ashanna went to an island in River Godavari four days ago. Their attempts to cross the river on Tuesday turned futile as SRSP project gates were opened to release water downstream.

At Siddipet, a person was reportedly washed away in floodwaters at Pocharamji village. Locals managed to retrieve the body. The erstwhile districts of Karimnagar, Nizamabad and Warangal bore the brunt of heavy rains as many low-lying areas were inundated, road connectivity got snapped and normal



life was affected. With rivulets, streams, lakes and other water bodies overflowing, rainwater entered many residential areas.

In Warangal, Lakshmiganapathi colony, Madhura Nagar, Santoshimatha colony, NTR Nagar, Brundavan Colony, Sai Nagar, Mysaiah Nagar, Kashi Kunta, BR Nagar and CR Nagar were left under sheets of water. Traffic on NH 163 was suspended for several hours as the water from the Kakatkshapur tank overflowing the highway near Katakshapur village of Atmakur mandal. Sircilla town was under deluge. Following the instructions of Municipal Administration and Urban Development Minister KT Rama Rao, officials set up relief camps and shifted residents from low-lying areas.

According to Telangana State Development Planning Society, the State average rainfall was 63.5mm against 7.5 mm normal rainfall. Extremely heavy rainfall of over 204 mm was recorded at Warangal Rural, Warangal Urban, Karimnagar, Peddapalli and Rajanna Sircilla districts. Till 4 pm, 131.5 mm rainfall was recorded at Kaldurki followed by 130.8 mm at Saloora and 130.8 mm at Bellal in Nizamabad.

Officials said well-marked low pressure lies over South Chhattisgarh and South Odisha and under its influence heavy to very heavy rains would occur at isolated places and light to moderate rains are likely to occur at many places across the State on Wednesday.