Monsoon raga: Incessant rains fill Hussainsagar in city to brim

Hyderabad: With heavy inflows, water levels in Hussainsagar and other reservoirs, including Himayatsagar and Osmansagar, reached alarming levels. Authorities are taking precautions to avoid submergence or other flood-related damage around the water bodies. Two gates of Himayatsagar have been lifted.

The water level in Hussainsagar on Friday reached 513.62 meters. The areas that will be affected are Domalguda, Gandhi Nagar, Kavadiguda and Himayatnagar.

Several tanks in the Hyderabad limits such as Moosapet, Badlaguda and Balapur are on the verge of breach. The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) and Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWSSB) have deployed special technical teams to monitor water levels and to ensure safety of tanks and lakes during heavy rain.

Said a senior GHMC officer “the water level if Hussainsagar has reached above the full tank level (FTL) of 513.6 meters; it is 513.62 meters; for reaching the maximum level there is a cushion 1. 3 meters. Till Fever Hospital, Nallakunta, there is no inundation’. ‘People residing downstream of the lake have been alerted. We are releasing water through sluices. A retaining wall has been built in the nala; yet we have instructed people to stay alert,” the officer said.

“To tackle the challenges posed by heavy rain and flooding, the civic body has activated 428 monsoon emergency teams, which are working round the clock. Additionally, 27 disaster response force teams have been deployed at water-logging points to facilitate swift draining of water in low-lying areas,” he added

Due to heavy rain in the catchment areas of Osmansagar and Himayatsagar in the past few days, they are overflowing, said a HMWSSB official. Two gates of Himayatsagar have been lifted to release the excess water to release 700 cusecs into Musi river. If rain continues for a few more days then even Osmansagar gates would be opened. To prevent inundation of low-lying areas, water is being released through nozzles. Officials have also alerted residents in the vicinities to remain vigilant and be prepared for emergency situations.

The GHMC monsoon emergency teams along with those of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have been asked to monitor the situation in the Musi catchment areas, the official added.

Said Sunil of Himayat Nagar, “lanes of Himayat Nagar have been flooded. Whenever there is a downpour we face the same hardship last year. Our area is a low-lying and has been a victim of floods in 2020 when water entered houses up to 5-6 feet.”

Ramu of Kavadiguda said, “even a light of rain is enough to flood the area. The nala gets filled and overflows. If there is a downpour then it overflows and can worry families staying there.’