Heavy rainfall continues to devastate Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, leading to severe flooding, tragic loss of life, and extensive disruptions. Both states have been enduring relentless downpours, resulting in swollen rivers and widespread inundation, including in major cities like Hyderabad and Vijayawada.
Emergency Meetings And Rescue Efforts
In response to the escalating crisis, the chief ministers of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, A Revanth Reddy and N Chandrababu Naidu, respectively, convened emergency meetings to assess the situation and coordinate ongoing rescue operations. The situation in Telangana’s Khammam district is particularly dire, with 110 villages submerged under floodwaters, and many residents stranded on hillocks and rooftops, awaiting rescue.
IMD Issues Red Warnings
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued red warnings for several districts in Telangana, including Adilabad and Mahabubnagar, forecasting very heavy to extremely heavy rainfall in the coming days.
As a precautionary measure, the Telangana government declared a holiday for all primary and secondary schools in Hyderabad on Monday, September 2, to ensure the safety of children.
Railway Services Disrupted
The rainfall has severely impacted railway services, resulting in the cancellation of 99 trains, the partial cancellation of four, and the diversion of 54 others. Five trains are stranded in the Kazipet to Vijayawada section due to flooding and breaches in the railway tracks.
Rescue Operations and NDRF Deployment
Union Minister Bandi Sanjay Kumar reported that 119 people were stranded on hillocks and buildings in the Khammam district. In a social media post, he informed Union Home Minister Amit Shah about the critical situation and the need for urgent intervention. In response, nine National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams were deployed to Telangana to aid in rescue efforts. These teams, drawn from Chennai, Visakhapatnam, and Assam, are actively working on the ground to evacuate those trapped by the floods.