E-Paper
Telangana rain: Schools, offices shut as IMD issues 'red' alert; Godavari overflows
The IMD sounded a warning of heavy to very heavy rain or even extremely heavy rain likely to occur during the next 48 hours.
Heavy to very heavy rains wreaked havoc in several parts of Telangana in the last 24 hours, particularly in the northern districts, resulting in heavy inflows into Godavari river and several streams overflowing, officials familiar with the development said on Friday.
The India Meteorology Department (IMD) attributed the heavy rains to a low pressure area lying over southern Odisha-northern Andhra Pradesh with associated cyclonic circulation, extending up to 7.6 km above mean sea level. “It is expected to move slowly west-northwest direction in the next two days,” an official bulletin issued on Friday said.
The Telangana government ordered holidays for educational institutions and government offices in the state till Saturday, on account of heavy rains and alerted the administration in all the districts to be on high alert to take necessary steps to minimise losses to the properties and save lives of the people.
The IMD sounded a warning of heavy to very heavy rain or even extremely heavy rain likely to occur during the next 48 hours at isolated places in Komaram Bheem Asifabad, Mancherial, Nirmal, Nizamabad districts of Telangana.
“Heavy to very heavy rain is very likely to occur at isolated places in Adilabad, Jagityal, Rajanna Sirsilla, Karimnagar, Peddapally, Kamareddy districts of Telangana. Heavy rain very likely to occur at isolated places in Jayashankar Bhupalapally, Mulugu, Bhadradri Kothagudem, Mahabubabad, Warangal, Hanamkonda, Siddipet, Medchal Malkajigiri, Sangareddy, Medak districts of Telangana,” it said on Friday.
A separate bulletin from Telangana State Development Planning Society (TSDPS) said the average rainfall of the state on Friday morning was recorded as 47.1 mm, as against the normal rainfall of 9.3 mm, a deviation of 406%.
“The cumulative average rainfall this monsoon, which was -14% till early this week, has been recorded as 19% above normal on Friday – it is 326.4 mm as against the normal of 273.9 mm,” the bulletin said.
The highest rainfall recorded in the state in the last 24 hours was 220.2 mm at Ramadugu in Karimnagar district, followed by 163.3 mm at Kulkacherla in Vikarabad district, 166.3 mm at Shahbad in Ranga Reddy district and 160.8 mm at Kodimial in Jagitial district.
Very heavy rainfall, ranging from 115.6 mm to 204.4 mm was received at isolated places over Adilabad, Nirmal, Jagtial, Karimnagar, Medak, Rangareddy, Vikarabad and Mahabubnagar districts and heavy rainfall ranging from 64.5 mm to 115.5 mm was witnessed in all over the state except Khammam, Nalgonda, Nagarkurnool, Wanaparthy and Jogulamba Gadwal districts.
Meanwhile, the Godavari river crossed the first danger mark at the temple town of Bhadrachalam on Thursday night, reaching a water level of 44.3 feet, which has crossed the danger mark of 43 feet. The authorities have issued alerts to people residing in low-lying areas along the river, considering threat of flooding.
In July last year, Bhadrachalam had been marooned for the first time in 32 years after Godavari had crossed the 70ft mark, wreaking havoc in adjacent areas.
State chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao reviewed the situation on Thursday night and instructed chief secretary Santhi Kumari to take emergency measures in the affected areas. He asked the officials to be prepared to carry out relief measures on a war footing and shift people to safe places from the habitations which are likely to be flooded in Bhadrachalam.
The chief minister also ordered that helicopters be made available to the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) for conducting relief operations. Relevant government departments, including Revenue, Panchayati Raj, Medical and Health, and Disaster Management, have been instructed to be alert and take immediate action to provide relief, KCR said, adding that the chief secretary is tasked with monitoring the situation regularly.
