Hyderabad: Rains spark massive traffic snarls in City

Hyderabad: Aftera prolonged dry spell, many parts of the city received intermittent rainfall through Tuesday evening in two brief periods, resulting in the inundation of several roads and massive traffic snarls.

There was heavy thunder activity in the evening from about 5:45 pm. The intensity of the rain was such that visibility decreased and vehicles drove at a snail's pace. Following rains, motorists were trapped in gridlocks throughout the city during the evening peak hours. Rains led to severe traffic snarls in multiple pockets, leaving commuters stranded for hours.

In various areas, the water on roads threw motorists into a tizzy, resulting in massive traffic jams at many locations, including L B Nagar, Vanasthalipuram, Hayath Nagar, Film Nagar, Jubilee Hills, Ameerpet, Abids, Ramanthapur, Tarnaka, Secunderabad, Erragadda, Mehdipatnam, Kukatpally, and other areas.

Traffic in Hitech City and surrounding areas worsened, and flood water captured roads even in Nampally, Khairtabad, Banjara Hills, near Secretariat, on the Somajiguda stretch, all of which are chronic water logging locations.

The traffic police braving the rain grappled hard to regulate the snarled-up vehicular traffic. Heavy traffic congestion was reported from areas like Punjagutta, Khairtabad, Lakadikapul, Ameerpet, and Gachibowli, among others, as the rains clashed with evening peak office hours.

Similar traffic snarls occurred on the Dilsukh Nagar-Chaitanyapuri stretch, where floodwater overflowed on the roads. At Balanagar Y Junction, traffic came to a standstill up to Kukatpally Metro Rail station due to the overflowing of drainage water from manholes. Traffic police and GHMC staff worked to clear the rainwater. Moreover, the GHMC’s directorate of Enforcement Vigilance and Disaster Management (EVDM) has issued helpline numbers for rain-related assistance and urged citizens to call 040-21111111, 9000113667 for GHMC-DRF assistance.