HYDERABAD: Heavy monsoon rains have pounded several parts of Telangana since Tuesday night, leading to severe flooding in low-lying areas, cutting off villages, and bringing normal life to a standstill. The relentless downpour has also severely impacted coal production at the state-owned Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL).
The northern districts of Telangana have been particularly hard-hit. Mulugu district has been worst affected, recording a massive 25.5 cm of rainfall in the last 24 hours.
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In the distict’s agency areas, overflowing streams, lakes, and ponds have inundated numerous villages in Venkatapuram mandal. The main Venkatapuram-Bhadrachalam road is completely submerged, halting all traffic. Residents in affected areas were seen desperately trying to drain water from their flooded homes throughout the night.
In Karimnagar, several colonies in the town were waterlogged, with floodwaters entering homes and shops.
At Peerjadiguda Kaman in Medchal district, the Hyderabad-Warangal National Highway turned into potholes, water accumulated in the potholes and turned into a swamp, and the traffic was getting worse due to the accumulation of water. Ghat Kesar Traffic Police took appropriate action.
Coal Production Severely Impacted
The torrential rain has brought operations to a halt at key SCCL mines.
- In Peddapalli district, production has been affected in four open-cast mines that collectively produce around 40,000 tonnes of coal daily.
- In Bhadradri Kothagudem district, floodwater entered a mine in Yellandu, stopping the production of 3,500 tonnes of coal. Motors have been deployed to pump the water out.
Heavy rainfall was also reported in Warangal, Jangaon, Mahabubabad, and Khammam districts.
IMD Issues Orange and Yellow Alerts
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast more heavy to very heavy rain for Wednesday, issuing high-level alerts for several districts.
- An Orange Alert has been issued for Adilabad, Komaram Bheem Asifabad, Mancherial, Jayashankar Bhupalpally, Mulugu, and Bhadradri Kothagudem districts.
- A Yellow Alert is in place for Nirmal, Nizamabad, Jagtial, Rajanna Sircilla, Karimnagar, Peddapalli, Hanamkonda, Warangal, Jangaon, Mahabubabad, Khammam, Vikarabad, and Mahbubnagar districts.
Hyderabad Also Feels the Impact
Within the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) limits, Shaikpet recorded the highest rainfall with 8.6 cm, followed by Jubilee Hills (7 cm), Tolichowki (6.5 cm), and Gachibowli (6.1 cm).
In response to the alerts, the Cyberabad Police have advised IT companies and other corporations in the area to consider a work-from-home model for Wednesday to ensure safety, reduce traffic congestion, and allow emergency services to operate without interruption.