Heavy downpours likely for next 48 hours: IMD

Karimnagar: The District Collectors are on high alert as the Meteorological Department has warned of heavy rains for the next two days.

As old houses were collapsing in many villages, they have been shifted to rehabilitation centres. Low-lying areas in Karimnagar and Peddapalli were flooded. Traffic on Rajiv Road was severely disrupted. Ministers KTR, Koppula Eshwar, Gangula Kamalakar, MLAs and officials visited the flood affected areas and gave instructions to the authorities.

People were told to be alert and not to worry as the government would take all kinds of measures for their safety. People of low lying areas were being taken to safe places. A24-hour call centre was set up in the Collectorates for immediate relief measures.

Mayors, municipal chairpersons and municipal commissioners have taken action in the towns. Flood water was flowing into LMD and Mid Manair reservoirs. The brick workers from Odisha who got stuck in Vallamphad stream of Karimnagar rural mandal were rescued with the initiative of Kamalakar and Mayor Y Sunil Rao .

While this was happening, a rare scene in Manthani has gone viral. The difficulty of a family to get out of the flood in Marriwada reminded a scene of Bahubali movie. A video of a three-month-old baby being carried by a man in a basket on his head in water up to her shoulders has gone viral after Marriwada was inundated. This scene clearly shows the pathetic flood situation in Manthani town. In Godavarikhani, people whose houses were inundated by Godavari river floods have been provided shelter in the community halls and function halls of NTPC Godavarikhani areas. Vivek Venkataswamy, former MP of Peddapalli, BJP National Working Committee member visited the affected people and assured them that he would stand by them.

The workers trapped in the Singareni filter bed have returned safely. On Thursday, NDRF conducted a rescue operation and brought five workers and fishermen to the shore in speed boats.

Singareni workers Kanakam Lakshmaiah, Doddapally Sammayya, Sangam Rajamouli, Sailu and Kumar were trapped at the filter bed and the fishermen who went to save them were also trapped there.

On Thursday, Singareni officials as well as Ramagundam MLAs Korakanti Chander personally participated in the relief efforts. The family members breathed a sigh of relief as the workers returned safely.

Minister Koppula Eshwar, Jagtial MLA Dr Sanjay Kumar visited the family members of Jagtial district reporter Jameer who was washed away along with his car in the flood accident on Bhupatipur Road and consoled them. According to RTC sources, around 635 bus services on 48 routes at various depots in Karimnagar region have been canceled due to continuous heavy rain since last Saturday.At the orders of the state government and the Endowment Department, the officials of Sri Rajarajeswara Swamy Devasthanam conducted a special manavahara and puja to appease the Lord Varunadeva in Vemulawada Kshetra on Thursday