Stemming the rain rot

Sudden heavy downpour with thunderstorms wreaked havoc in areas like Hanumanpet, Addagutta, Dayanand Nagar, Uttam Nagar, Jyothi Nagar among other places in Malkajgiri on Saturday night.

Heavy thunderstorms uprooted trees and in one case a tree fell onto an auto. However, no one was injured. Dr Rajvanth a resident of Hanumanpet said that several electric poles were also damanged causing power cut for the entire night.

At Jyothi Nagar, the residents’ efforts to lodge a complaint with Gymkhana power Supply Sub-Station went in vain as neither a cell number nor landline at office was functioning.

On Sunday morning, when the residents reached the sub-station, to their surprise they saw a person sleeping with a complaint register and a dead landline telephone.

The residents lamented that a complaint to Secunderabad Cantonment Board (SCB) authorities to remove the fallen tree on the electric wires had no immediate response.

Later, about 30 people along with the help of workers cleared a tree that fell on the electric wire. The power, which went off at 9.30 pm on Saturday, could only be restored by 12 noon on Sunday.

Jyothi Colony Residents Welfare Association, President, Nikhila, said that though it was the duty of Telangana State Southern Power Distribution Company Limited (TSSPDCL) and SCB authorities to remove the fallen trees, the people rallied towards it and restored power supply.

For the residents at Addagutta, it was a nightmare as rooftops made of asbestos flew away due to thunderstorms. Adding to the woes of the residents in these areas roads were dug out and there was large amount of water logging leading to traffic jams.

A resident of Hanumanpet Shaik, Hussain Ahmed said that road numbers 1, 2, 3 and 4 have been filled with 5 ft of rain water. Besides power, water supply was also snapped in some of the areas.

Gautham Nagar Division, Corporator, R Shirisha Jithender Reddy said, “We have taken immediate action and power was restored in only some areas.”

By Chitra Saikumar