Hyderabad, Sep 27 (IANS) Passengers from Mahatma Gandhi Bus Station (MGBS) in Hyderabad were rescued by Disaster Response Force teams as floods in the Musi River inundated the biggest bus station in Telangana.

A dramatic rise in the flood level in Musi after midnight due to massive discharge from the twin reservoirs of Himayat Sagar and Osman Sagar since Friday, submerged both bridges in MGBS premises, trapping a large number of passengers.

Water from the overflowing river entered the platforms at the sprawling facility, forcing authorities to stop bus services and launch an operation to rescue trapped passengers.

Teams of Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA) and Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC), along with the Police and Fire Services Department, swung into action to rescue the passengers.

Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy directed authorities to safely evacuate passengers trapped in the flood.

Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TGSRTC) diverted buses coming to MGBS from various places in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh to other points in the city.

Officials said it was an unprecedented situation at MGBS, said to be one of the biggest bus stations in Asia.

Musi, which flows through the city, was flowing dangerously, inundating parts of the residential colonies abutting the river. About 1,000 people from Shankar Nagar, Vinayaka Veedhi, Moosa Nagar, Padma Nagar and other areas in Chaderghat were shifted to relief camps.

Chaderghat causeway was completely submerged. Water was overflowing the old bridge at Moosarambagh, which was already closed for traffic. A new high-level bridge, which was under construction, suffered damage due to floods. Centric iron rods and construction material stored at the site were washed away. Water entered houses in the Ambedkar Nagar area close to the bridge.

Following heavy rain over the last few days, Osman Sagar and Himayat Sagar reservoirs on the city outskirts received heavy inflows. Authorities opened 24 gates to release floodwater downstream. The discharge increased to 35,000 cusecs late on Friday night, triggering floods in the river.

Officials said Musi never saw this level of flow in recent times. With rains continuing in upstream areas, the water level is likely to increase further.

About 15,000 people were killed in the Musi floods of 1908. The disaster had changed the face of Hyderabad. Mir Osman Ali Khan, the then Nizam of Hyderabad State, had drafted engineer M. Visvesvaraya to build Osman Sagar and Himayat Sagar reservoirs upstream to prevent floods.

–IANS

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