Normal life comes to a halt in Hyderabad after heavy rain inundates many roads

CHARMINAR: Normal life came to a grinding halt across the Old City following heavy rains that lashed across the city. Pockets such as Charminar, Lad Bazaar, Pathergatti, Khilwat, Shahalibanda, Hussaini Alam, Puranapul, Nayapul, Karwan, Mangalhat and Jihrrah that are usually buzzing with activity on weekdays appeared less crowded as people preferred to stay indoors.Heavy rainfall left several roads inundated making it tough for commuters to make their way through them. And even as motorists struggled to wade through the water, the rain left pipelines damaged adding to the mess. Even manholes in places such as Puranapul were exposed following the downpour, causing much inconvenience to both travellers and local residents.The local Met officials issued a two-day heavy rainfall warning, both for the city and the rest of Telangana. "The city will continue to witness heavy rain for the next 48 hours. These rains will help bridge the rainfall deficit in Hyderabad since the start of July," said Y K Reddy, director (in-charge), Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), Hyderabad.“As the pipeline burst, potable water was being wasted before Saleem Hotel in Puranapul. While we immediately informed the Water Board authorities about the issue, the workers were not able to carry out any repair due to the continuous rain,“ said the ex-corporator of the area.With the rain forcing people to either cancel or postpone their plans of venturing out, businesses in the Old City received a severe beating.“It has been raining since morning and intensified in the afternoon. Due to this, I had to postpone work for the day . Otherwise I was about to stock goods in my shop. Business has been very thin throughout the day because of the rain,“ said Mohd Younus, a mobile store owner.Meanwhile, complaints of water-logging started pouring in with multiple pockets either submerged in water or drains in the area completely choked. Pedestrians and motorists crossing through the stretch outside the iconic Chowmahalla Palace were among those who were left stranded.“The entire city is waterlogged after a heavy downpour. No one cares about the plight of people mainly those in Old City,“ Qasim, a commuter who was trying to negotiate his way through the waterlogged road, said.But despite the rain, processions for Bonalu festival were taken out from different parts of Old City on Monday .Though the crowds appeared much thinner, the showers failed to dent the spirits of revellers seen participating in the processions.