Flood-hit Chaderghat residents seek urgent aid, claim officials failed to sound alert

Hyderabad: A day after sudden flooding submerged several low-lying colonies in Chaderghat, civil society groups and resident representatives have written to the Hyderabad district administration alleging failure of warning systems and demanding urgent relief, compensation and institutional accountability.

Flooding followed the lifting of gates at Himayat Sagar and Osman Sagar

On Friday night, floodwaters from the Himayat Sagar reservoir entered neighbourhoods such as Shankar Nagar, Kamal Nagar, Moosa Nagar and Vinayak Veedi, with residents reporting water levels rising to nearly 10 feet in some homes.

The flooding followed the lifting of nine gates of Himayat Sagar and twelve of Osman Sagar.

While the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWSSB) claimed that flood alerts had been issued, affected families said they had received no effective communication.

“These purportedly issued flood alerts have not meaningfully reached those adversely affected by the floods and those whose homes are inundated with flood water,” the joint appeal states.

Loss of essential property and goods

The residents said the flooding destroyed household goods accumulated over the years.

“Many families have lost essential belongings, cooking vessels, clothes, refrigerators, televisions, furniture, and other household materials. This represents a huge loss for working poor communities,” the letter noted.

Civil society’s demands

The memorandum, signed by 21 organisations and individuals, including the National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM), Human Rights Forum, Fridays for Future India, and the Hyderabad Slum Federation, outlines a four-part demand:

Immediate relief: Establish additional temporary shelters for roughly 200 displaced families and provide food, water, clothing, sanitation and medical care. The groups also suggested that the Women and Child Welfare Department assist in housing women and children.

Health and sanitation: Conduct medical camps and vector-control drives to prevent waterborne disease outbreaks.

Damage assessment and compensation: Launch surveys with community participation and provide financial support for lost household goods and damaged homes.

Accountability and prevention: Make HMWSSB responsible for timely alerts, restore older practices of public announcements through mosques and temples, and create a community-level early warning system with GHMC, Disaster Management Authority, Water Board and local leaders.

Past appeals ignored

The petitioners recalled a meeting held on August 30 with municipal authorities after the death of a local resident, Salim, who was swept away in Musi waters. At that time, civil society groups had sought advance intimation protocols before the opening of reservoir gates.

“Despite prior appeals made by civil society delegations to the Mayor and GHMC Commissioner for advance intimation and public alerts before gate openings… no such communication or alert was issued to the communities this time,” the letter said.

Appeal for urgent action

The signatories, which include activists Syed Bilal (NAPM and HRF), SQ Masood (ASEEM), Venkat Reddy (Child Rights Activist) and Manjula V (Gruha Karmikula Union, Telangana), said the incident has ‘deeply shaken community confidence and caused avoidable hardship.’

They urged the government to act swiftly with ‘urgency and compassion’ to provide relief and prevent similar incidents in the future.