Rain throws life out of gear in Hyd: Low-lying areas get flooded, lakes spew toxic foam

NDRF personnel moved around flooded areas in boats, providing relief to local residents.

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Heavy rains that lashed Hyderabad on Wednesday and Thursday left several colonies in areas like Malkajgiri and Uppal inundated, with the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) deploying teams for relief and rescue operations.

According to reports, the city received an average rainfall of 9 cm from Wednesday night to Thursday morning, with Keesara recording 17 cm, Uppal reporting 11 cm, Malkajgiri recording 10 cm and Balapur reporting 10 cm.

“We had to spend the entire night in murky waters. We were waiting without any food and water till afternoon. A few NGOs supplied food packets, water and milk to us,” a resident of Shirdi Nagar told Telangana Today.

Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) commissioner B Janardhan Reddy coordinated relief works with officials from all departments, even as it was reported that twenty NDRF personnel were carrying out relief works in two boats.

Other reports add that civic officials in Anand Bagh broke down a wall near the nala, to provide relief to the flooded area.

“The rain began in the evening at around 4 pm and by 7 pm, the water level started rising in the area. None of us slept and the first light showed the whole area covered in a sheet of water. It looked like a lake. Only the top of my car was visible. We stay in the first floor, so we didn’t suffer any loss,” Praveen, a resident of East Anand Bagh told The Hindu.

The rain also resulted in waterlogged roads. which threw traffic out of gear from Tolichowki to Gachibowli, and Hi-Tec City to Madhapur.

Several residents of the city were either stuck at their homes or their offices, as the rain made the roads a commuting nightmare.

Many lakes across the city also witnessed a familiar sight of toxic foam arising from water bodies, and entering residential areas.

The Deccan Chronicle reported that toxic foam was produced at the Hasmathpet Lake in Bowenpally, Nacharam Cheruvu, Dharaninagar Colony in Kukatpally and even RK Puram Cheruvu to a certain extent.

“We know that the lake begins to froth with the slightest of rains, so why couldn’t the GHMC or the Pollution Control Board (PCB) plan in advance?” DC quoted a local resident of Dharaninagar as asking.