Heavy rains throw life out of gear in Telangana; IMD issues red alert

Naveen S Garewal
Tribune News Service
Hyderabad, July 22

Life in most parts of Telangana was thrown out of gear due to heavy and unprecedented rains on Thursday. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a “red alert” for the state saying, “very heavy to extremely heavy” rain was expected over the next three days.

Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao (KCR) has made special teams of officials to keep a close watch on the situation as most dams and reservoirs are already full and could threaten neighbouring populations in a spillover. It is expected that the rainfall would cause flooding in low-lying areas, water pooling on roads, and seasonal crops would be submerged.

People of Hyderabad, who are yet to come to terms with the October 2020 flooding in the state, have panicked after the IMD predicted heavy rains. Similar predictions of heavy rains are also for Nalgonda, Suryapet, Janagaon, Yadadri Bhuvangiri, Rangareddy, Hyderabad, Medchal Malkajgiri, Vikarabad, Sangareddy and Medak districts. Thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and gusty winds with speeds up to 30-40 kph are also expected.

“A cyclonic circulation lays over northwest Bay of Bengal and neighbourhood and extends up to 3.1 km to 7.6 km above mean sea level tilting southwestwards with height. Under this influence, a low-pressure area is very likely to form over northwest Bay of Bengal and neighbourhood during the next 48 hours, causing widespread rainfall in the next two-three days,” said IMD Hyderabad said in a statement signed by scientist K Naga Ratna.

Besides the Southwest monsoon being vigorous over the state, a low-pressure area has formed over Northwest Bay of Bengal and neighbourhood under the influence of an existing cyclonic circulation over the same region.