About 1,500 people shifted to relief camps in Hyderabad following heavy rains

Hyderabad, Sep 27 (PTI) About 1,500 people living in low-lying areas here were shifted to relief camps as the Musi river was in spate following heavy rains in the city, officials said on Saturday. Other parts of Telangana also received heavy rains.

The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) said 10 relief camps were set up to provide shelter to those evacuated from low-lying areas.

Food and other essential items were being provided to those staying in the relief camps, it said in a release.

State Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar, GHMC Commissioner RV Karnan and other officials made field visits, including the flood-hit areas, for taking relief works.

The flood water entered the Mahatma Gandhi Bus Station (MGBS), a major bus complex in Telangana, prompting authorities to halt the bus services. Passengers waiting for buses in the complex were shifted out safely late on Friday.

Prabhakar said the government is taking measures to prevent loss of life and that it has set up relief camps.

He added that buses are being operated from alternative areas in the city in view of the flooding in the MGBS.

Hyderabad and other parts of Telangana continued to receive rains on Saturday. The Telangana Development Planning Society said 10.8 mm of rainfall was reported at Vijaynagar Colony and Shaikpet in the city during 8.30 am to 10 pm on Saturday.

Lingaipalle in Medak district received 105.8 mm of rainfall, followed by 92.5 mm of rain at Manoor in Sangareddy district, it said.

The Met Centrre issued an yellow alert and forecast that heavy rainn is very likely to occur at isolated places in Adilabad, Nirmal and other districts on September 28.

Thunderstorm is likely to continue at various places in the state during the next three days, it said.

Earlier in the day, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, who enquired about the situation following the heavy inflows in the Musi, directed officials to take precautionary measures by monitoring the situation in all localities adjacent to the river and shift people living in low-lying areas to relief camps if necessary.

The water level in Musi river rose after the gates of Hyderabad’s twin reservoirs -- Himayatsagar and Osmansagar -- were raised following the heavy rains. PTI SJR SJR SA