Telangana witnessed widespread incessant rainfall on Thursday and with a similar forecast for Friday, the state government has extended holidays to all government offices, educational institutions in Greater Hyderabad till Saturday. The chief minister's office asked the Labour department to ensure that private companies in the state capital, too, announce holidays during the period. Education minister P Sabitha Indra Reddy had on Thursday morning ordered a two-day holiday for all educational institutions across the state given the weather conditions. This was following inundation of several main roads, underpasses and residential colonies in the city after continued spells of rain. The state has also sounded a high alert for districts and ordered the administration to be vigilant and move residents to safer places. The rainfall in the last couple of days has brought the southwest monsoon in the state from deficient to normal. As on July 20, the state has received a cumulative rainfall of 27.9 cm for the month as against a normal of 26.4 cm. K Nagarathna, Scientist E and head of IMD centre in Hyderabad said upper air circulation lies over Odisha and adjoining areas of northwest and west central Bay of Bengal while another cyclonic circulation lies over Chhattisgarh. Under the influence of these cyclonic circulations and the low-pressure area that is due to form over northwest and west central Bay of Bengal, Telangana is likely to have light to moderate rains over most places in the next 48 hours and heavy to very heavy rainfall in a few places in the northern and northeastern districts, she said. As of 7 am Friday, Gundi in Karimnagar has recorded the highest 24-hour rainfall of 21 cm whereas several locations in Vikarabad, Rangareddy, Jagtial, Karimnagar, Mahabubnagar districts recorded over 14 cm of rainfall. Districts such as Mahabubnagar, Vikarabad, Medchal-Malkajgiri, and Rangareddy have reported excess rainfall in the last 24 hours. In Hyderabad, the highest 24-hour rainfall of 11.9 cm was recorded from Serilingampally. Many localities in Malkajgiri, Kukatpally, Uppal, Kapra, Shaikpet etc recorded between 9 to 11 cm of rainfall during the day, according to the state-run Telangana State Development Planning Society (TSDPS). For Friday, the IMD has issued an orange alert (heavy to very heavy rainfall) at isolated places in Kumuram Bheem Asifabad, Mancherial, Jayashanker Bhupalpally, Mulugu, Bhadradri Kothagudem districts and a yellow alert (heavy rains) at isolated places in Adilabad, Karimnagar, Peddapally, Mahabubabad, Warangal, Hanumakonda and Yadadri Bhuvanagiri districts. In Hyderabad, light to moderate rains are likely to continue with occasional intense spells, according to IMD. Water logging of low-lying areas, clogging of drainage systems, disruption of road and rail transport, disruption of power supply, submergence of agricultural lands and crop damage, have been listed as possible impacts. People have been asked not to venture out unless necessary. As flood water levels continue to rise in river Godavari at the temple town of Bhadrachalam in eastern Telangana, the state government sounded the first alert on Thursday. The water level in the river, owing to additional inflows from Maharashtra, is inching towards the 48-foot mark after breaching the first level warning of 43-foot Thursday afternoon. The river had swollen alarmingly last year and breached the 70-foot mark leading to the rescue and rehabilitation of thousands to safer locations. Control rooms are set up across districts and rescue teams led by NDRF personnel are deployed. The CMO has asked officials to keep helicopters available for rescue operations.
