Hyderabad: The flood situation in parts of Hyderabad and other districts of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh remained grim as many places were inundated. Extensive damage to the roads and the railway tracks have badly hit traffic in both the states forcing authorities to cancel 30 trains and divert many others.
Death toll in rain-related mishaps in the two Telugu states over the last four days has mounted to 27 as more deaths were reported from the worst affected Medak district.
In Hyderabad, where many colonies, including Nizampet, Alwal, Qutbullapur and Chandangar remained under water, the intensity of the rains has come down over the last 24 hours. Except in areas like Alwal, Kapra and Qutbullahpur where it rained heavily last evening, the other parts of the city received only intermittent moderate rainfall improving the general situation.
Four teams of 60 National Disaster Relief Force personnel were busy in the relief and rescue operations in Nizampet, Kukatpally, Chandanagar and Miyapur areas. The administration has also sought help from the army and army personnel were also ready to move in to help the civil administration in the worst affected parts of the city.
However the city was still not out of danger as dark clouds were hovering menacingly on Saturday evening and the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned of more rains over the next four days under the influence of a well marked low pressure area over north coastal Andhra and adjoining parts of Chattisgarh and Telangana.
The IMD has warned heavy to very heavy rains at a few places with extremely heavy rainfall at isolated places in the districts of Hyderabad, Adilabad, Karimnagar, Khammam, Mahbubnagar, Nizamabad, Ranga Reddy and Warangal over the next 48 hours.
Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, who returned from New Delhi Saturday morning held a high level review meeting with Chief Secretary Rajiv Sharma, director general of police Anurag Sharma, GHMC commissioner B Janardhan Reddy, Hyderabad police commissioner Mahinder Reddy and others. He directed the officials to expedite the rescue and relief operations in the inundated areas of Hyderabad and other districts in the state. He wanted the officials to give top priority to supply of safe drinking water and food to the stranded families.
He directed all the ministers and the other elected representatives to be available to the people round-the-clock and supervise relief and rescue work.
After Hyderabad and Ranga Reddy districts, Medak and Warangal were the worst affected by heavy rains as many parts of the districts were in the grip of floods.
Three more deaths were reported form different places in Medak district which recorded 11cm of rain in 24 hours. One person died in a wall collapse incident in Burra Hanumanpally village near Siddipet while a boy was washed away in Sadasivpet mandal and another person was washed away in a flooded rivulet in the same district.
In a heart-rending incident under Kalcharam police station a person died while trying to save the life of his son stuck in a car in flooded water. While the son Srikant was rescued by the local people, his father 58 year old Nayini Swamy was washed away in the floods.
A truck was precariously hanging from a bridge over Manjira river in Manur mandal of Medak district. The driver had tried to drive the truck through flood waters while getting washed way in the powerful current it got stuck over the protective wall. The driver and cleaner saved their lives by jumping out of the vehicle.
Officials said they have sought the help of helicopters for relief and rescue operations in the marooned areas.
In Warangal several tanks had developed breaches leaving crops over thousands of acres submerged. In Warangal and Hanmakonda city rain water had flooded several colonies forcing the people to evacuate to safer places. Police Commissioner Sudhir Babu said more than 40 rescue and relief teams were working to help the stranded people.
