HYDERABAD: The bone-chilling memories of the 2020 floods still fresh in their minds, Telangana’s District Collectors have raised their vigil after the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a warning of heavy rainfall (64.5-115.5 mm) to very heavy rainfall (115.6- 204.4mm) across various districts, especially in the northern parts of the State. The State Disaster Management Authority has issued directions to all the Collectors to keep the district machinery ready in the event of inundation of low lying areas, falling of trees and electric poles, disruption of transport services, infrastructural damage etc.
As per the IMD warning, heavy rainfall is likely on Saturday and Sunday at a few places in Nizamabad, Bhupalapally, Mulugu, Kothagudem, Mahabubabad, Warang a l (Rural ) , Warangal (Urban), Sangareddy, Kamareddy, and very heavy rainfall may occur at isolated places in Asifabad, Mancherial, Nirmal, Jagtial, Sircilla, Karimnagar, Peddapalli, Vikarabad and Medak.
The rains may not cease after that, as the IMD has forecast thunderstorms at isolated places across the State for two more days, and heavy rainfall across the norther n Telangana districts. IMD-Hyderabad director Dr K Nagaratna said that the rains would be caused by the low pressure formed over the northwest Bay of Bengal and an associated cyclonic circulation. The low pressure is expected to become more marked in the next 24 hours and move northwestwards.
Also, a trough exists over Telangana till the coast of Andhra Pradesh. In the intervening night of Thursday and Friday, widespread rains were recorded in Telangana, with some districts receiving heavy rains, including Nizamabad, Kamareddy, Medak, Sangareddy and Adilabad, resulting in damage to roads and inundation of low lying residential areas. In Sangareddy town, the wall of a house collapsed, but fortunately, no one was injured in the incident. Heavy rains in the Manjeera river’s catchment area at Narayankhed flooded the Singur project. Officials said that 5,972 cusecs of flood water flowed into the project overnight.