Hyderabad Rains: Apt Basements Flooded, Queues for Vehicle Repair
Reservoir levels stayed under watch after Thursday’s inflows
HYDERABAD: Heavy rain that paralysed Hyderabad on Thursday evening left behind flooded basements, damaged vehicles and long repair queues through Friday, with another spell forecast for the night in the southern and central GHMC limits. In EVV Colony, Neknampur, residents were still clearing debris from cellars where water had covered parked cars.
Samarendra Patra, resident in one of the affected blocks, said the problem had persisted for years despite their own attempts to fix it. They had sealed a gate, raised barriers almost to first floor height and spent heavily to prevent seepage.
“For two years, it worked,” he said. “This time, the corporation blocked a drainage outlet and a small construction stopped the water flow. Three societies with over 60 families went under. We contacted HYDRAA, but they came for barely 10 minutes, partly cleared a blockage and left. At night, we hired a pump for `20,000 and worked until morning to drain out the water.”
He explained that the water came from the larger Alkapur township where drains were inadequate. Cars had submerged, security guards living in the basements lost fridges, televisions, beds and food supplies. The generator had 20 litres of diesel which spilled out during the flooding. “We had to act fast because there was no one else to do it,” he added.
In Manikonda, apartment cellars remained submerged for hours, and vehicles were still being towed out on Friday. Mechanic shops were crowded from the morning where vehicle owners stood to fix engines of water-damaged vehicles. The previous night’s commute was also described by many as the worst in recent memory. Cabs cancelled repeatedly and surge fares climbed steeply.
“None of the apps would confirm, and when I finally got a ride, I paid more than twice the normal rate for a few kilometres,” said Asavari Nath, a resident of the Financial District. Others abandoned road travel entirely and pushed into the Metro Rail crowd to avoid the traffic.
Reservoir levels stayed under watch after Thursday’s inflows. Four gates were opened at Himayatsagar to let out water. At Hussainsagar, the water stood at 513.63 m with controlled outflows.
Meanwhile, T. Balaji, known online as the Telangana Weatherman, confirmed that he had been engaged by the GHMC as a consultant for weather tracking and advisories. According to him, this arrangement allows civic and enforcement teams to be on the ground earlier and respond faster to storm impacts.