Waste, Plastic Dumping in Drain Lines Causes Flooding and Waterlogging Across City

Hyderabad:Garbage, debris and plastic waste are being dumped into drain line canals and stormwater drains across the city, leading to rainwater getting clogged in the mess and flooding nearby areas. Officials said the waste blocks the free flow of rainwater, causing inundation and flooding in the nearby areas, especially low-lying areas.

In Nampally’s Aghapura and Habeebnagar, locals were reportedly dumping huge amounts of trash and plastic waste into the drainage canal. The canals and drain lines get clogged with heaps of trash, causing not only blockades for water flow but also a major health hazard.

Mohd. Saleem, a businessman in Habeebnagar, said “I keep seeing people dumping rubbish into the drains almost every day. When heavy rains come, the water has nowhere to go and it floods the roads and nearby houses.”

In 2025, two men, 26-year-old Arjun and his 25-year-old nephew Ramu, were swept away from Habeebnagar in heavy flood water at the same stormwater drain line. While Arjun’s body was found more than 80 kilometers away at Yadadri Bhuvanagiri district’s Valigonda, Ramu’s body was never found.

Similar trash-filled drain line situations were observed across multiple locations in the city. At Musheerabad, despite authorities spreading awareness in colonies and housing societies, residents reportedly dump heaps of trash into the drain, which flows directly into the Musi River.

The drain line at Nallakunta’s Padma Colony also suffers heavy clogging due to plastic and trash accumulating at multiple locations before flowing into the Musi River.

Officials from the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWS&SB) also warned that blocked drains and sewer lines can lead to serious problems during heavy rainfall.

In a recent inspection of flooding in Khairatabad areas, HMWS&SB managing director Ashok Reddy observed that clogging of multiple manholes and sewerage lines is leading to water overflowing from drainage holes and drain lines, eventually causing waterlogging in the area. He instructed staff members to organise special desilting works in manholes and drain lines.

Officials from the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) also said that special cleaning drives are being carried out to remove waste from stormwater drains and nalas. However, they stressed that civic efforts alone cannot solve the issue if residents continue to dump garbage into the drainage system.

“Our teams are cleaning drains and removing tonnes of waste before and during the monsoon. But fresh waste is being dumped again in many locations. Some of the trash comes flowing from other locations and gets clogged up, and does not let water to flow. The public should also be mindful. Their cooperation is important for their own colonies to not get flooded”, said a GHMC official.