Heavy rain triggers Gachibowli's Malkam Cheruvu overflow; HYDRAA inspects low outflow capacity

Hyderabad: Unprecedented rainfall on Thursday evening led to severe flooding in several areas of Gachibowli and surrounding localities.

The overflowing of Malkam Cheruvu was identified as a major cause, resulting in traffic snarls and water entering residential colonies.

HYDRAA Commissioner AV Ranganath visited the affected areas on Friday morning to assess the situation and initiate corrective measures.

Lake receives heavy inflow, lacks adequate outflow

According to officials, the inflow into Malkam Cheruvu during rains is substantial, but the outflow capacity remains critically low.

Currently, water is draining only through a single natural outlet. With no sluice gates in place, the excess rainwater has been backing up into nearby areas, causing urban flooding.

Ranganath was informed that installing sluice gates would help regulate water levels, especially during the monsoon. He instructed officials to immediately take up the required works once the rainfall subsides.

Field-level inspections and immediate directions

During the inspection, the Commissioner evaluated the inlet and outlet structures of the lake and identified bottlenecks in the drainage system. He visited roads and residential areas submerged around the lake and directed officials to fast-track desilting, drain widening and flood control works.

Ranganath also issued instructions to ensure that rainwater flowing from the Biodiversity Park and Shaikpet does not accumulate near the Shaikpet bridge but is diverted efficiently into the lake without flooding the bridge area.

HYDRAA Additional Director Varla Papayya, Cyberabad Commissioner Avinash Mohanty, and Joint Commissioner of Traffic Gajarao Bhupal accompanied the Commissioner during the visit.

Heavy rainfall submerges key roads, colonies

The city recorded 15 cm of rainfall on Thursday evening, resulting in waterlogging across multiple stretches. The Gachibowli–Mehdipatnam road near Shaikpet bridge was submerged, with water reaching waist level at some points. Parts of Osmania Colony were also inundated, disrupting daily life and vehicular movement.

Nightlong relief operations by HYDRAA teams

Responding swiftly, Commissioner Ranganath reached the affected locations and monitored rescue and relief operations personally. Starting at Osmania Colony, he oversaw dewatering and flood relief measures and later visited the Malkam Cheruvu surroundings to ensure traffic clearance.

DRF (Disaster Response Force), Monsoon Emergency Teams, traffic police, and GHMC staff were deployed through the night. The Commissioner remained on-site until 12:30 am, coordinating efforts to bring the situation under control.

78 complaints resolved, woman rescued in Banjara Hills

HYDRAA also resolved 78 flood-related complaints overnight.

Teams cleared 41 fallen trees and drained stagnant water at 36 critical locations. In one significant incident, a woman trapped in floodwaters near the SBI Executive Enclave, Banjara Hills, was safely rescued by emergency teams.