There was some respite from rain on Friday after a downpour late on Thursday that resulted in flooding across the city. Weathermen have warned of more rain in the next 48 hours.
The current spell of rain that began September 20 due to low-pressure conditions over coastal Andhra Pradesh continued to bring in more rains. Moula Ali, located in north-eastern parts of the city received around 22 cm in 24 hours until Friday morning. India Meteorological Department located at Begumpet recorded 5 c.m. of rain by end of Thursday, but less than 1 c.m. until 11 p.m. on Friday. “A heavy rainfall alert has been issued for the next 48 hours. Low-pressure conditions now exist over northern Telangana,” an IMD meteorologist said. “Another low-pressure weather system is forming in the Bay of Bengal,” he added.
As heavy rain has been lashing the capital since the beginning of the week, citizens have been calling up the Telangana State Disaster Response and Fire Services number ‘101’ and the GHMC’s call centre -21111111/155304 - to seek help in case of inundation and the like as many citizens felt the former was the agency to handle all disasters.
An unoccupied house collapsed in Agapur without causing injuries. Hussain Sagar water level continued to remain above the lake’s Full Tank Level of 513.41 meters despite water being let out. Until Friday evening, officials were letting out 4,500 cusecs of water. Minister for Municipal Administration K.T. Rama Rao informed that the government had kept two helicopters ready for emergencies while appealing to people in low-lying areas to move to higher ground.
There are two National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams stationed here with 45 personnel, but it is imperative for the government to have its SDRF as ‘ad hoc’ teams cannot do the job effectively to address distress calls, argue senior officials involved in relief and rehabilitation work during the current rains.
The fire service personnel could only pump out water from the flooded cellars of the apartments in colonies inundated due to excess flow from their neighbouring water bodies.
