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Rescue operations continue in rain-hit Telangana districts
The traffic on National Highway 44 (Hyderabad-New Delhi) was disrupted due to breaches at several places, leading to a huge traffic jam for about 15 km between Sadashivnagar and Bhiknoor
: Telangana disaster management authorities on Friday continued rescue operations in the rain-ravaged areas of Kamareddy, Nizamabad and Medak districts, with several colonies and villages still reeling under flood waters, officials said.
Heavy rains continued to lash several parts of northern Telangana on Friday, too, with Kamareddy recording rainfall of 109.1 mm since morning, followed by 90.6 mm in Nizamabad, 72.7 mm in Nirmal, 69.2 mm in Rajanna Siricilla, 55.8 mm in Karimnagar, 52.2 mm in Adilabad and 47.2 mm in Medak district, according to an official bulletin from the state disaster management authority.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicted more rain on Friday and Saturday. Extremely heavy rain is likely in Kamareddy and Nizamabad districts. A red alert has been issued in these districts, according to IMD officials. The IMD has issued an orange alert in Medak, united Adilabad and Karimnagar districts.
The traffic on National Highway 44 (Hyderabad-New Delhi) was disrupted due to breaches at several places, leading to a huge traffic jam for about 15 km between Sadashivnagar and Bhiknoor. “We are diverting the traffic to different routes to prevent traffic snarls,” Kamareddy superintendent of police Rajesh Chandra said.
Flood waters from the Pocharam project washed away a part of the Medak-Yellareddy highway, bringing traffic to a halt.
An official statement from the roads and buildings department revealed so far, 794 damaged road stretches have been identified, covering a total of 1,039 km. At 31 locations, roads have been washed away, while temporary restoration work have been completed at 10 spots.
“As many as 356 causeways and culverts have been damaged, and traffic diversions have been set up at 289 locations. Out of 305 severely affected areas, 236 have already been cleared for traffic movement,” the statement said.
An operation by the Army was started to rescue eight people trapped after a portion of the bridge on the Medak-Yellareddy highway was washed away. A team of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) rescued eight people caught amid floods in the Manjira River in Nizamabad district.
For the second day, authorities have declared a holiday for educational institutions in Medak and Kamareddy districts.
In Hyderabad, the Musi river is overflowing, as authorities have opened the gates of the twin reservoirs – eight of Osman Sagar and three of Himayasagar – to release nearly 6,400 cusecs of water downstream.
Due to this release of water, flooding has intensified in areas like Bapughat, Attapur, Puranapul, Chaderghat, and Moosarambagh. The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation alerted residents living in low-lying and riverside areas, as the river water was passing over the causeways at Ziaguda, Chaderghat and Moosarambagh.
