Heavy Rain Floods Central Hyderabad Colonies

Hyderabad: Heavy rainfall on Thursday left several parts of central Hyderabad under severe waterlogging. Localities including Domalguda, Musheerabad, Ashoknagar, Bagh Lingampally and Himayathnagar were among the worst hit, with overflowing nalas and collapsing retaining walls compounding the crisis.

At Musheerabad’s Bakaram, near the Bank of Baroda Colony in Bholakpur, an underground nala burst under pressure from heavy inflows, sending water gushing into the basements of nearby apartments. “It was very scary last night. Water began flowing into our cellar at a dangerous speed, and we had nowhere to go,” said Narayan Reddy, a resident. HYDRAA and GHMC teams later pumped out the water and began repairs to prevent further flooding. Residents of Bholakpur said this was the first time the area had witnessed such flooding, and only because the underground nala had broken.

In Himayathnagar’s Domalguda, residents of Gagan Mahal Colony (popularly known as New SBH Colony) faced repeated inundation as the Hussainsagar nala overflowed. Decades of uncleared silt and debris have choked the channel, obstructing water flow. Residents said water had entered their homes more than ten times this year alone, leaving them angry and demanding long-term solutions.

“Almost every time it rains, our colony gets flooded. HYDRAA removes the water, but we want a permanent fix,” demanded Deepinder, a resident. HYDRAA commissioner A.V. Ranganath assured that the problem would be examined in detail. “We will study the issue first and then resolve it to the best of our abilities,” he said.

In Bagh Lingampally’s Sriramnagar Colony, residents waded through waist-deep water after an adjoining nala overflowed into the slum. Residents said the colony regularly experiences flooding since the nala runs right beside the slum. During his visit, the HYDRAA commissioner observed that the nala connects directly to the Hussainsagar nala in front of the settlement, causing surges in flow. He directed engineers to design a new stormwater drain that would bypass the colony before joining the main nala.

At Ashoknagar, part of the retaining wall of the Hussainsagar outlet nala collapsed, letting water spill unchecked into the locality. Officials said temporary barriers would be erected to keep water off the roads until a permanent solution is taken up after water levels subside.