Heavy rains flood Hyderabad with Bahadurpura seeing 86 mm; traffic jams and waterlogging disrupt life. Authorities warn of more rains ahead.
On Thursday, Hyderabad was hit by intense rain for the second day in a row, which caused chaos in the city. As rains flooded streets and penetrated homes, some areas suffered from significant waterlogging, making it difficult for locals to commute and go about their everyday lives.
The Telangana Development Planning Society (TDPS) reports that Bahadurpura had the most rainfall, with 86 mm. Doodbowli’s Chandulal Baradari Sports Complex came in second with 83.8 mm, and Roopal Bazar Community Hall in the Charminar zone came in third with 77.3 mm.
In other places, more than 60 mm of rain fell on Kapra, Begum Bazar, LB Stadium, and Sardar Mahal. Alwal, Asifnagar, Khairatabad, and Nampally all received more over 50 mm.
The heavy rain flooded main roadways. In Asifnagar, Begumpet, and Musheerabad, residential colonies reported water seeping into their homes, and streets in Bahadurpura, Malakpet, Goshamahal, and Nampally were inundated. To illustrate the extent of the floods, inhabitants of Talla Basthi had to wade through waist-deep water.
As a result of traffic jams, the Old City, Mehdipatnam, Khairatabad, Banjara Hills, and Lakdi-ka-pul arterial highways and underpasses were made almost impassable. Waterlogged streets caused commuters to report journey times that ranged from the typical 40 minutes to almost three hours. Traffic cops rerouted cars at various locations to reduce traffic, and many drivers abandoned two-wheelers where drainage overflowed.
According to meteorologists, the combination of local weather conditions and moisture-laden winds was the reason of the intense downpour. Authorities cautioned that there might be further light to moderate periods in the days ahead and urged people living in low-lying regions to exercise caution.
Hyderabad experienced its highest rainfall in five years on Wednesday night, with Musheerabad registering 184.5 mm, MCH Colony 174.8 mm, and the Musheerabad police station area 155.5 mm. Over 140 mm of rain fell in a few hours at Secunderabad, Serilingampally, and Marredpally, among other districts of the city. Such intense downpours were uncommon for an inland city, but experts pointed out that they are becoming more frequent as a result of changing weather patterns and urbanization, which lower natural drainage capacity.