WARANGAL: Heavy rains lashed several areas under the Greater Warangal Municipal Corporation (GWMC) limits, in the intervening night of Tuesday and Wednesday, as a result of which many low-lying areas were flooded, disrupting normal life in the city.
Various parts of Warangal recorded more than 100 mm rainfall in just a few hours. While Nagaram recorded the highest rainfall of 148 mm, Kamalapur recorded 136 mm, Chintagattu 134 mm, Urus in Warangal (Urban) and Mulugu road 112 mm, Paidipally 108 mm and Kazipet 103 mm. While several areas such as Samaiah Nagar, Wadepally, Nayeemnagar, Teacher Colony in Hanamkonda, Gopalpur, Ambedkar Bhavan road, 100-feet road, Gokul Nagar, Housing Board and Nakkalagutta reported waterlogging, the floodwaters also entered many houses in low-lying residential colonies.
Immediately after receiving information regarding the flash floods, rescue forces of both the GWMC and the State Disaster Response Force rushed to the areas to lend a helping hand to the people. Meanwhile, those residents who were affected blamed the poorly maintained stormwater drains in their areas for the flash floods.
Though the Telangana government, after last year’s floods, had promised to put in place permanent flood relief measures in Warangal, especially in low-lying areas, the authorities have not commenced any works to this regard till date.
In the wake of heavy rain, Warangal Mayor Gundu Sudha Rani and GWMC Commissioner Pamela Satpathy directed the officials of engineering and sanitation wings to be on high alert. They advised the officials to be available in their respective divisions all the time and take measures to ensure that there would be no loss of lives or properties. The Mayor also directed the engineering wing officials to identify low-lying areas and prepare a special action plan to prevent floods in such areas. She also instructed the officials concerned to desilt all main and internal canals to ensure free flow of floodwater.