The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Low-lying areas in deep waters

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Sunday, Aug 10, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Low-lying areas in deep waters

Residents spend sleepless night on Friday with rising water levels

Interior colonies of Ramanthapur were completely swamped by Friday evening
An uprooted tree near Afzalgunj bus stop obstructed traffic movement in the locality

HYDERABAD: For almost a full day, residents of several low-lying colonies of Ramanthapur bore the fury of interminable rain, before the municipal officials came to their rescue. However, the official presence was too little for comfort compared to the dreadful ordeal of the previous night.

The interior colonies of Ramanthapur including Srinivaspuram, Vivek Nagar, Ram Reddy Nagar, Venkat Reddy Nagar, Indira Nagar and Madhura Nagar were swamped completely by Friday evening. With no help from authorities, all through the night residents here did not sleep and fought with nature by warding off rain and drain water from entering their homes. The intensity of the rain was such that a community playground at Madhura Nagar was completely inundated with waist-deep of water.

The ‘illegal’ hutments on Ramanthapur lakebed near Hyderabad Public School (HPS), set up during the ‘struggle for land’ agitation, were left to fend for themselves. “Neither politicians nor officials showed up to help. We are the worst sufferers because our kids and women don’t even have a dry place to sleep, leave alone sit,” says P. Ramesh, who collects garbage for residents of Street No. 8 Habsiguda.

Similar flooding was also reported at Indira Nagar and Nacharam Vegetable market yard falling under Kapra municipal circle. The Deputy Commissioners of both Kapra and Uppal circles have informed that special teams have been formed.

Similarly, the heavy downpour had rainwater flooding homes near the railways tracks at B.S. Maktha.

Most roads in the area were flooded on Friday night itself. “The water yesterday night was waist deep and we had to wade through not knowing when we might land into a manhole,” Anwar, who lives near Subhani mosque in the area, said.

It was only on Saturday morning that a few residents removed the covers off manholes so that water would drain out easily.

Motorists, however, had a tough time negotiating through the lanes and bylanes of the area.

At some places, although the water had subsided, no one bothered to replace the covers off manholes posing another danger.

Roads in the area were also damaged.

Knee-deep water

In other parts of the old city, normal life was thrown out of gear as incessant rain left many streets under sheets of water.

While residents of Hasannagar and Bilalnagar had tough time in removing rain water that entered their houses, those in other areas were forced to reach houses wading through knee-deep water.

Such was the intensity of rain that a neem tree was uprooted near Afzalgunj bus stop in the wee hours of Saturday affecting traffic movement in the locality.

Lanes and by-lanes in Talabkatta and Hafeezbabanagar were affected because of overflowing drain water, those commuting on the main roads of Talabkatta, Chandualal Baradari, Aliabad and Kalapather had a difficult time in circumventing the potholes and ditches.

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Andhra Pradesh