Hyderabad: Unseasonal rain continued to wreak havoc in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, throwing normal life out of gear and causing widespread damage to standing crops. The incessant rain over the past three days has claimed 10 lives in the two states – six in Andhra Pradesh and four in Telangana.
Standing crops over thousands of acres have been damaged. Heavy rainfall is lashing Hyderabad since Monday night, inundating low-lying areas and flooding roads, affecting the normal life. Rain water entered houses in some colonies in the city and surrounding areas. The strong gales accompanied by rainfall uprooted trees and blew away hoardings in some areas.
Electricity supply was also disrupted in some parts of the city. Waterlogging on roads led to long traffic jams in some core areas of Hyderabad and its outskirts. The ongoing Hyderabad Metro Rail works added to the motorists’ woes.
Emergency teams of Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) swung into action to attend the problem of water stagnation on main roads. Roads turned into cesspools in busy areas like Kukatpally, Ameerpet, S.R. Nagar, Khairatabad, Lakdi Ka Pul, Koti, Malakpet, Dilsukhnagar, Secunderabad, Tarnaka, Alwal, Sanatnagar, Bolarum, Ramanthapur and Uppal.
The unseasonal rain under the impact of low pressure trough has caused widespread damage to crops in both the states. Standing crops of paddy, maize, jowar, banana and mango were destroyed across Telangana and in parts of Andhra Pradesh.
Crops over one lakh hectares were damaged in Andhra Pradesh. Standing crops over an estimated 70,000 hectares were damaged in Telangana. Officials in both the states were busy enumerating losses to crops, cattle and houses.
The Met Office has forecast more rain in both states over the next two days.
