Rain wreaks havoc in Telangana

Hyderabad: Heavy rains continued to lash many parts of Telangana, including Hyderabad on Sunday and Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy held an emergency review meeting with available ministers and officials. He spoke to ministers Bhatti Vikramarka, N Uttam Kumar Reddy, Tummala Nageswar Rao, Damodara Raja Narasimha and Jupalli Krishna Rao over phone and enquired about the relief operations in the submerged areas across the state.

A woman died and three others were feared washed away in separate rain-related incidents in Mahabubabad and Khammam districts on Sunday. It is feared that at least 20 persons died or went missing in the state because of heavy rains and flooding in different districts as normal life went out of gear on Sunday.

Over 110 villages were inundated and the road and rail network between the two Telugu states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh were cut off. The erstwhile districts of Khammam, Warangal and Nalgonda faced the brunt of heavy rains as several colonies were inundated and people had to climb to the top of their houses seeking help.

In Mahabubabad, a man and his daughter went missing on Saturday. While the body of the daughter was found, the whereabouts of the father were not known. The NDRF which had launched a search on Saturday could not trace him.

Ramapuram at the border area was in flood waters with Chimiryala stream was flooding heavily. The flood water was overflowing at the National Highway at Nallabandagudem resulting in huge traffic jam at inter-state check post.

The officials stopped the vehicular traffic at both sides of the Hyderabad-Vijayawada Highway.

One RTC bus was stranded at Nallabandagudem in the Paleru stream. The inundation of tracks between Kesamudram - Intekanne, Tadla Pusapalli - Mahabubabad and at Rayanapdu railway station resulted in cancellation/diversion of train services and several others were cancelled on the Vijayawada–Kazipet route.

Several colonies in Khammam were inundated because of flooding in Munneruvagu. The flood waters entered the Rajiv Gruhakalpa Colony and a family was stranded in an apartment. Seven persons were stranded in a house at Venkateswar Nagar. The flood waters entered the Karunagiri Sai Krishna Nagar Colony. The residents had to rush to the upper floors as the flood water entered the second floor. Nine persons were stranded on the Munneruvagu bridge.

With the helicopters in the state not functioning, the government requested for Defence helicopter from the Naval base in Visakhapatnam.

The low-laying areas in Warangal district were filled with flood waters. The lakes and streams in the Yeturunagaram agency area in Mulugu district were overflowing leading to transport being cut off between Yeturunagaram and Warangal. The Fire department personnel saved more than 400 persons stranded in the floods in Kodada. The Fire department personnel took up 13 major rescue operations till Sunday evening.