Rain havoc leads to traffic snarls, power outages and uprooted trees in Hyderabad

The sudden downpour after a spell of humidity provided much relief to residents of Hyderabad on Tuesday. | Photo Credit: NAGARA GOPAL

After over a week of mercury hitting 45 degrees in Telangana, heavy rains on Tuesday evening brought respite for citizens in the State.

Serilingampally with 13.3 cm topped the list of areas with maximum rainfall, as per the data from the Telangana State Development Planning Society. This was followed by Kukatpally, which recorded a rainfall of 11.7 cm, Bachupally with 10.5 cm, Secunderabad with 10.4 cm and Khairatabad with 10.08 cm rainfall were also among the areas that saw heavy rain.  

As many as 32 tree fall complaints were reported between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m., of which 18 were still under progress, as per the data shared by Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation’s (GHMC) Disaster Management wing.

Meanwhile, 17 complaints about water logging were reported, of which three were yet to be drained.  

Traffic snarls in Hyderabad

Traffic snarls continued at major junctions in Hyderabad till late in the night along with traffic congestion on key roads from Ameerpet to Paradise and near Ikea Junction. “I left my bike back in the university and travelled via metro to avoid getting stuck in the rain,” said an employee of University of Hyderabad travelling from Raidurg to Musarambagh. Citizens driving their own vehicles were stuck at traffic bottlenecks due water logging and tree felling.

Power cuts in Telangana

Power interruptions remained a major concern among citizens. The Telangana State Southern Power Distribution Company Limited (TSSPDCL) started tweeting around late evening about a series of power outages. They posted regular updates on heavy gale and rain caused power outages in Kompally, Miralam, Kothur, Wanaparthy, Shamshabad, Patancheru, Allapur, Banjara Hills, Nalgonda, Himayath Sagar, Siddipet, Beeramguda, Tara Nagar and Ibrahimpatnam among others. “The restoration work is underway by the TSSPDCL,” as per a message on a social media platform by the power utility.

While most citizens celebrated the showers after muggy weather and daytime heat, some took to Twitter and other social media platforms to express their concerns about the sudden downpour impacting the Indian Premier League match scheduled at Uppal Stadium on May 8.

Meanwhile, Hyderabad’s Fire Control Room alerted about thunderstorms with surface wind less than 40 kmph likely to occur at a few places over Mahbubnagar, Nagarkurnool, Nalgonda, Ranga Reddy, Suryapet, Vikarabad and Yadadri Bhuvanagiri between 7 p.m. and 10 p.m.