Month-Long Deluge Leaves State Flooded
Kamareddy got thrice its monthly average rain in just 2 days
Hyderabad: It was not a one-day downpour that brought Telangana to its knees on Thursday, but a month-long barrage of rain. August 2025 has turned into one of the wettest spells in recent memory, with multiple districts clocking record rainfall, overwhelming natural and civic drainage systems and triggering floods across urban and rural areas.
According to the Telangana State Development Planning Society (TSDPS), Kamareddy recorded the highest rainfall this August at 702.1 mm, more than three times the normal August average of 215 mm. Mulugu followed with 668.2 mm, Jayashankar Bhupalpally 658.4 mm, Komaram Bheem Asifabad 617.2 mm, and Warangal 612.7 mm — all well above the 600 mm mark.
Officials noted that while some intense spells occurred in the third and fourth weeks, the flooding was not due to isolated events but to prolonged accumulation. “The land has been saturated for weeks. Even moderate showers now lead to quick surface runoff into low-lying areas, causing chaos,” a senior TSDPS scientist said.
Throughout the month, TSDPS advisories and IMD bulletins warned of thunderstorms, gusty winds and heavy rain driven by low-pressure systems over the Bay of Bengal. On August 22 alone, several districts received more than 100 mm in a few hours, worsening fragile flood conditions.
Districts like Kamareddy, Nirmal and Bhupalpally, located near or downstream of catchment zones, were the worst affected. Irrigation and disaster response officials confirmed that inflows from Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh into the Godavari basin further swelled water levels in streams, lakes and minor reservoirs.
Despite dry gaps in early August, a sharp surge during the second and third weeks breached several water bodies. Agricultural lands in Mulugu and Asifabad remained submerged for days. Local officials cited choked stormwater drains, poor check-dam maintenance and delayed desilting as aggravating factors.
The irrigation department reported breaches at 120 minor irrigation tanks this monsoon. While small breaches have been repaired, larger repairs will be taken up after the season. “With the exception of the small breach at Pocharam, which is under repair, all medium and large irrigation structures are intact and in good condition,” a senior irrigation official said.
TSDPS records show that August 2025 ranks among the three wettest Augusts in Telangana in over five decades, with final confirmation awaited from the Meteorological Centre, Hyderabad. Similar magnitudes were recorded in 1998 and 2010, but not with this consistency or statewide spread.
Officials say more rainfall is expected in the coming days, although the intensity may decrease. Still, with soils fully soaked, even small showers now translate to quick surface flooding.