Hyderabad, July 18 (IANS) Disaster Response Force (DRF) and Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA) personnel deployed boats to rescue people trapped in a flooded areas as heavy rains brought Hyderabad to its knees on Friday.

Disaster Response Force and Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency rescued people trapped in Paigah colony in Rasoolpura area in Secunderabad.

Rain water entered the houses in Paigah colony after heavy rains lashed the city Friday evening. Rescue teams involving DRF, HYDRAA, Fire Services and Police rescued people through boats.

About 40 workers trapped in a flooded car showroom in Begumpet were also rescued by HYDRAA personnel. HYDRAA Commissioner A. V. Ranganath personally supervised the rescue operation.

The showroom was flooded due to overflowing nala at Patny. The staff informed the police, which alerted HYDRAA.

The trapped workers were brought out from the rear side of the showroom by using boats. The authorities had recently demolished two structures to widen the nala and constructed a retaining wall.

In Vidyanagar, rescue teams of Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) brought out people from an apartment building after it was inundated due to breach in the retaining wall of an adjacent nala.

People travelling in a car had a narrow escape when the compound wall of CRPF campus in Barkas collapsed due to heavy rains.

Several parts of Hyderabad and suburbs received heavy rains since afternoon. Maredpally area recorded maximum rainfall of 11.28 cm. Balanagar, Bandlaguda and Musheerabad recorded rainfall of 11 cm each. Uppal and Malkajgiri recorded 10 cm rainfall each.

Following heavy rains, Hussain Sagar lake in the heart of the city received massive inflows. The water level in the lake rose to 513 feet against full tank level of 514 feet.

Moosarambagh Bridge across Musi River was submerged by the water. A similar situation was seen on the Cable Bridge in IT corridor.

Heavy rains threw normal life out of gear. The rains left roads inundated in many areas, disrupting the vehicular traffic.

Massive traffic jam was seen on Biodiversity Park-IKEA road in the information technology corridor.

Heavy downpour led to a traffic gridlock on the busy Miyapur-Kondapur road. Vehicles were moving at snail’s pace on HITEC City-Housing Board stretch.

Roads turned into cesspool in central parts of Hyderabad like Nampally, Abids, Koti, Chanderghat, Basheerbagh, Hyderguda, Lakdi Ka Pul, Khairatabad, Ameerpet, Panjagutta, Begumpet, Banjara Hills and Jubilee Hills.

Alwal, Trimulgery, Boenpalli, Maredpalli, Tarnaka, Musheerbad Habsiguda, Uppal and other areas in Secunderabad saw heavy downpour.

Rains also lashed Kukatpally, Miyapur, Moosapet, Qutbullapur, Rajendranagar, Nacharam, LB Nagar, Hayatnagar, Dilsukhnagar, Abdullahpurmet and other areas on the outskirts.

People returning from offices and work places and children heading home from schools were caught in huge traffic jams.

Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy has directed officials to stay alert view of heavy rainfall in Hyderabad.

He asked departments like GHMC, Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA), Hyderabad Metro Water Supply & Sewerage Board (HMWS&SB), Electricity and Police to work in coordination.

He also directed NDRF, SDRF and HYDRAA teams, and officials from other concerned departments to stay vigilant. He asked them to respond immediately and take prompt action in areas where people are facing difficulties due to the rains.

–IANS

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