Heavy rains lash Hyderabad, affect normal life

Hyderabad, April 3 (IANS) Heavy rains and thunderstorms with gusty winds lash Hyderabad on Thursday, affecting normal life.

The pre-monsoon downpour inundated roads in several areas, leading to traffic jams during the evening peak hours.

The movement of vehicular traffic was affected in the busy areas of Hyderabad, Secunderabad, and the outskirts.

The downpour provided relief to people from the heat by bringing down the maximum temperature. However, the unseasonal rains caused severe inconvenience to motorists.

The gusty winds uprooted trees in a few places and disrupted the electricity supply.

Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA) teams swung into action to clear the fallen trees.

They were also clearing water stagnation points to restore vehicular traffic. HYDRAA Commissioner A.V. Ranganath personally visited the areas where trees fell on roads.

Movement of traffic had come to a complete halt under the Malakpet bridge due to water stagnation. The Raj Bhavan Road and the road under the Telugu Talli flyover near the State Secretariat were also flooded.

Two persons were injured when an under-construction boundary wall collapsed and fell on an auto-rickshaw in the Karmanghat area.

Two persons stranded at a temple in the Musi river were rescued by teams of the HYDRA and the GHMC.

A chunk of lime plaster from one of the four minarets of the iconic Charminar fell down following the unseasonal rains. No one was injured in the incident.

Following the heavy downpour, Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy ordered the officials to be on high alert.

He asked civic authorities to take necessary relief measures and ensure people did not face any hardships.

The Chief Minister instructed Chief Secretary Santhi Kumari to review the situation from time to time and take appropriate measures to avoid inconvenience to the dwellers in the low-lying areas.

The CM ordered the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC), police, HYDRAA and other departments to work in coordination to ensure that there is no waterlogging on the roads, traffic jams or power outages. The Energy Department was also instructed to resolve power supply problems and restore the services immediately.

He directed the traffic police to address vehicular traffic problems in rain-hit areas so that commuters reach their homes early.

CM Revanth Reddy asked the officers and staff of various departments to support each other in the relief measures being taken in waterlogging areas.

According to the Chief Minister’s Office, district Collectors, police officers, and officers of all departments have also been put on high alert in the wake of heavy rains, gusty winds and hailstorms reported in many districts.

--IANS

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