Hyderabad is grappling with severe flooding as the Musi River, engorged by heavy rainfall in its catchment areas, burst its banks on Friday. The deluge has inundated several city areas, including the Mahatma Gandhi Bus Station (MGBS), a critical State and inter-State transport hub managed by the Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TGRTC).
About 200-300 homes in and around Chaderghat, predominantly tin-roofed and single-storey structures, were completely submerged. As water levels surged dramatically, desperate families scrambled to higher floors, with some enduring a cold night on their rooftops.
Many residents voiced their frustration, claiming they received no advance warning about the release of water from the Osman Sagar and Himayat Sagar reservoirs. These crucial flood control structures were built in 1920 and 1927, respectively, following the devastating 1908 floods, specifically to manage the river’s flow.
“In my 50 years, I have never witnessed the river rise so swiftly. Never before have so many reservoir gates been opened simultaneously,” lamented M. Venkatesh, a Ramnagar resident.
First time in six decades
On Friday, a staggering 35,000 cusecs of water were discharged into the river from the twin reservoirs. Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply & Sewerage Board officials confirmed this was the first time in 60 years that 15 gates of the Osman Sagar were lifted by nine feet.
As bus bays at MGBS became submerged in knee-deep water around midnight, the Hyderabad Disaster Response & Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA) swiftly mobilized. Approximately 2,000 passengers were evacuated using ropes, as reported by HYDRAA chief A.V. Ranganath. All bus services were rerouted to other locations across the city, and passengers were duly informed.
The service road leading to the Outer Ring Road (ORR) was also swamped by the rushing waters from Himayat Sagar, causing significant traffic disruptions on both the ORR and the service road. Key thoroughfares like the causeways at Chaderghat and Moosarambagh, along with the Puranapul bridge, were shut down due to inundation, leading to severe congestion on alternative routes. The retaining walls of the Chaderghat causeway were washed away, and the bridge connecting Pratapsingaram and Gowrelli villages in the suburbs also fell victim to the rising waters.
Starting around 2 p.m. on Friday, the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) initiated efforts to relocate over 1,000 residents from vulnerable areas to safer shelters, providing essential relief to families stranded near Chaderghat and MGBS. By Saturday, drones were deployed to deliver food to isolated families. The National Disaster Response Force was also on the ground, utilizing rescue boats to bring residents to safety.
Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy convened a review meeting on the flood situation, instructing authorities to prioritize the safe evacuation of stranded individuals and to implement comprehensive relief measures. He urged the police, HYDRAA, and GHMC to remain on high alert.
City Minister Ponnam Prabhakar, Mayor Gadwal Vijayalakshmi, GHMC Commissioner R.V. Karnan, and Hyderabad Collector D. Hari Chandana personally visited the flood-affected regions to oversee the rescue and relief operations.