Remnants of severe cyclonic storm Montha that crossed the Andhra Pradesh coast late on Tuesday night, triggered a deluge in some districts of Telangana on Wednesday, throwing normal life out of gear and disrupting road and rail traffic.
Extremely heavy rains in some districts since early Wednesday have inundated low-lying areas and submerged roads and railway tracks, and caused extensive damage to crops.
Overflowing rivulets, lakes, and streams cut off road connectivity at several places. Railway tracks at Warangal and Dornakal railway stations were submerged, forcing the cancellation and diversion of several trains.
Warangal, Hanamkonda, Mulugu, Mahabubabad, Jayashankar Bhupalapally, Nalgonda, Siddipet, Yadadri Bhuvanagiri, Sircilla, and Nagarkurnool districts received extremely heavy rainfall.
Bheemdevarapalle in Hanamkonda district recorded the highest rainfall of 41.9 cm from 8.30 a.m. to 10 p.m. According to the Telangana Development Planning Society, 35 places received extremely heavy rainfall of above 20.50 cm, while 68 places recorded a rainfall of above 11.50 cm.
Kallada in Warangal district recorded 36.7 cm rainfall, followed by 34.3 cm in Urus and 33.9 cm in Redlawada in the same district. Dharmasagar in Hanamkonda recorded a rainfall of 33.28 cm.
The IMD has issued a red alert to Jangaon, Warangal, Hanamkonda, Mahabubabad, Siddipet, Yadadri Bhuvanagiri, Karimnagar and Sircilla districts and an orange alert to Adilabad, Nirmal, Asifabad, Mancherial, Jagtiyal, Peddapalli and Bhupalapally districts.
According to IMD, after crossing the Andhra Pradesh coast, severe cyclone Montha weakened into a deep depression over north Andhra Pradesh and adjoining areas of south Odisha, south Chhattisgarh and northeast Telangana. It further weakened into depression over south Chhattisgarh and the neighbourhood.
Authorities in Warangal district have declared a holiday for all educational institutions. Due to flooding of railway tracks at Warangal Railway Station, Vijayawada Intercity Express and East Coast Express were stopped at the station.
Similarly flood of tracks at Dornakal Railway Station in Mahabubabad district disrupted the movement of trains. South Central Railway cancelled or diverted several trains.
In Hanamkonda, the bus station turned into a lake. Roads in the town were also flooded with overflowing stormwater drains.
A DCM vehicle with its driver was washed away in floodwaters in the Khammam district. The vehicle was swept away in the Nimmavagu stream near Janaram bridge in Konijarla Mandal.
In Vikarabad district, a man who was swept away in the Kagna river was rescued by locals. The incident occurred near Veerishettypally in Tandur Mandal.
In Nalgonda district, police and personnel of other departments rescued 500 students of a government-run residential school who were trapped in flood waters. The building of the tribal welfare boys’ residential school in Kommapalli village of Devarakonda mandal was submerged in water overflowing from a nearby stream, and the students were crying for help.
In view of the heavy rains, Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy instructed the entire administration to remain on high alert.
He directed the district officials to evacuate the families residing in low-lying areas and shift them to relief camps. The State Irrigation Department was alerted to closely monitor water levels at all projects, reservoirs and other water bodies.
He said the district Collectors should be alerted before the release of water from the overflowing water bodies. Sandbags should also be kept ready at the water bodies and reservoirs, which are brimming with heavy inflows.
As Hyderabad is witnessing heavy rains, CM Revanth Reddy ordered the local civic authorities to deploy disaster management teams to rescue people in the inundated areas in the city.
The SDRF and NDRF teams were directed to take up rescue operations in a coordinated manner in the heavy rain-affected districts under the guidance of the District Collectors.
