Warangal: Heavy downpour keeps denizens indoors

Warangal: With rain continuing to haunt the people, ‘stay put at your homes’ is the safe mantra as of now in erstwhile Warangal district. The situation in the Greater Warangal Municipal Corporation (GWMC) is no better as several colonies remained under a sheet of water on Wednesday. The residents living in the East Fort region have stuck to their homes due to rainwater in the streets since Tuesday night. The GWMC staff is doing its best to drain out the water from the streets.

Greater Warangal Mayor Gundu Sudharani said that around 700 people were shifted to a rehabilitation centre. Another eight rehabilitation centres have been identified in case of emergency, she added. “The city will become safe from flooding by next year as work on storm water drain is in progress,” Sudharani said. She along with municipal commissioner Shaik Rizwan Basha inspected Battala Baza and Ramannapet and other water-logged colonies.

Meanwhile, almost all the lakes and ponds were overflowing due to incessant rains for the last few days. Several villages across the erstwhile Warangal district lost road connectivity due to overflowing of creeks and streams. The motorists finding it difficult to cross the overflowing Katakshapur lake under Athmakur mandal in Hanumakonda district on the National Highway 163 (Hyderabad to Bhopalpatnam). The locals were seen trying to catch the fishes from the overflowing waters of Katakshapur lake.

Minister for Panchayat Raj and Rural Development Errabelli Dayakar Rao offered prayers at the overflowing irrigation tank of Kantaipalem village under Thorrur Mandal in Mahabubabad district.

Tribal Welfare Minister Satyavathi Rathod, along with K Shashanka and Superintendent of Police (SP) Sharat Chandra Pawar, inspected Mondrai Vagu in Kothaguda mandal, Jamanndlapaplle Vagu in Mahabubabad town, Akeru Vagu in Kowsalyadevipalle and Nellikuduru villages, and Kommulavancha Vagu in Nellikuduru mandal in the district.

On the other hand, rains affected coal production in Singareni mines in Jayashankar Bhupalpally district. According to sources, the SCCL incurred Rs 16 crore loss due to nonstop rains. Massive inflows continued at the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project (KLIP). The officials lifted 75 gates of the Lakshmi Barrage at Medigadda to let out 5.18 lakh cusecs. Sammakka-Saralamma Barrage (Tupakulagudem) was also receiving good inflows to the tune of 7.30 lakh cusecs.