Heavy rain stumps Hyderabad

According to reports, heavy rain in catchment areas led to the Moosi river, which passes through the city, breaching its banks

Heavy rain lashed the city of Hyderabad on Monday evening, causing waterlogging, traffic jams and power cuts at several places.  At least seven persons have lost their lives in the city and in the adjoining districts in the past 24 hours. The city received 13 cm of rain.
 
People remained stranded for hours, as traffic came to a grinding halt on all highways connecting the city. Many roads and low-lying areas remained waterlogged till late in the night.
 
The city roads, particularly those connecting the IT corridors, witnessed traffic snarls.
 

Almost half of the 185 lakes and other water bodies under the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) flooded the banks. This caused several low-lying areas to be inundated, according to GHMC officials. Emergency teams were pressed into service.

 
Heavy rain in catchment areas led to the Moosi river, which passes through the city, breaching its banks, according to reports.
 
GHMC has set up health camps in waterlogged areas. Chief Minister K Chandrasekhara Rao has directed senior officials to closely monitor relief operations.
 
The woes continued on Tuesday, with several roads being under four-five feet of water. Employess of many IT firms reported late for work, owing to traffic snarls. “We had to cancel our 11 am meeting as people were late,” said a senior executive of an IT company in Hitech City.
 
Last year, the state government had assured IT firms it would take steps to improve the road network, strengthen infrastructure and remove bottlenecks for smooth flow of traffic. But little has changed in and around Hitech City, Kondapur, Gachibowli and the financial district, where around 400,000 software professionals and thousands of support staff commute daily.

 
This was the highest rainfall recorded on a single day during this time of the year. About 10 cm rain was recorded in September 2013.
 
Rains are expected to continue for a couple of days, as the south-west monsoon is yet to withdraw, the local weather office said.