Heavy rains inundate low-lying areas, disrupt road links in Telangana

Hyderabad, Aug 16 (PTI) Low-lying areas were inundated at several places in Adilabad and other districts of Telangana on Saturday following heavy rains.

The incessant downpour caused waterlogging on roads and inundation in low-lying areas in Adilabad, Jagtial and other districts.

Rivulets and other water bodies were in spate leading to disruption of road links between villages.

News channels showed footage of a lorry driver being rescued by police after his vehicle was stuck in water near a rivulet in Adilabad district.

Widespread rainfall continued in the state on Saturday and Tamsi in Adilabad district received 173.8 mm of rain between 830 AM and 9 PM on Saturday, the Telangana Development Planning Society said.

Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy directed officials to be prepared to implement relief measures in view of heavy rain forecasts in several districts of the state.

Reddy reviewed the preparedness with officials after moderate to heavy rains were predicted in Nizamabad, Sangareddy, Medak, Khammam, Vikarabad and other districts, an official release said.

It quoted the CM as saying that teams of NDRF and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) have already been deployed in districts which are expected to receive heavy rains.

Reddy also directed officials to shift people in low-lying areas to relief centres and keep sandbags ready near lakes, tanks and reservoirs where water levels are rising and to stop movement of people on causeways, low-level bridges and areas where waterlogging is reported.

He instructed officials to take all precautions to prevent loss of life and livestock and asked them to initiate measures to check the spread of infectious diseases.

The Met Centre of IMD here predicted very heavy to extremely heavy rainfall in Bhadradri Kothagudem, Hanumakonda and other districts on August 17.

It said heavy to very heavy rainfall is very likely to occur at isolated places in Adilabad, Jangaon and other districts on August 17.

The Met Centre forecast rainfall in the next fews in the state. PTI SJR SJR ROH