Hussainsagar safety wall collapses; 200 houses inundated

Hyderabad: Nearly 200 houses in Hyderabad's M S Maktha area were inundated in the wee hours of Friday after a protective wall of a canal connected to Hussainsagar lake partially collapsed due to heavy rains, official sources said. Heavy rains lashed Hyderabad and many other parts of the state since late Thursday.

Gudimalkapur, Red Hills, Srinagar Colony, Sivarampalle, Monda Market, Gananka Bhavan (Khairatabad), Vijay Nagar colony and other areas of Hyderabad received between 10 to 14 cm of rainfall since Thursday. The rains also led to waterlogging in the low-lying areas of the city, the sources said.

The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) is carrying out operations to remove rainwater which is knee-high in some areas, they said. GHMC Commissioner D S Lokesh Kumar held a teleconference with senior officials of the civic body and asked them to take necessary measures to clear waterlogging and fallen trees, the sources said.

Mayor B Rammohan, accompanied by officials, visited several inundated areas. He ensured dispatch of disaster response teams to the affected areas, they said.

According to the Meteorological Department, light to moderate rain or thundershowers are very likely to occur at many places in Telangana over the next four days.

The IMD weather bulletin said Rajendranagar and Golconda here and Thimmajipet in Nagarkurnool district received 8 cm of rainfall, followed by Hakimpet (Hyderabad) and Julapalle in Peddapalle district (seven cm each).

The disaster rescue teams of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation shifted residents of some inundated residential colonies in special boats to safer places, GHMC sources said. The GHMC teams distributed milk and biscuits to the needy residents.

Rammohan has earlier urged city residents to temporarily postpone travel plans in the wake of heavy rains. The heavy rains led to massive traffic congestion on the city's roads, including the IT hub and traffic moved at a snail's pace.