Rise in Musi River keeps low-lying areas on edge; officials ready with emergency services

Hyderabad: With water levels in the Musi River rising to dangerous proportions, residents in low-lying districts are concerned about the repercussions. People living along the riverbanks are nervous and are preparing to face the difficulties of waterlogging and flooding during this rainy season.

Authorities have their fingers crossed after opening two gates of Osman Sagar on Wednesday, and with waters being released from the Himayat Sagar for over a week by the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board.

On July 27 at 4 pm, 2 flood gates of Himayat Sagar were lifted and 1350 Cusecs water was released into Musi river, 2 flood gates of Osman Sagar were lifted and 852 Cusecs water was released into Musi river.

Malakpet residents are concerned with the water growing near the little bridge, indicating a potential for flooding in adjacent areas. “When water levels rise and flow from above the bridge, houses begin to flood. People here are keeping an eye on the water level, and it hasn’t yet reached the bridge,” said resident K Rammurthy, who lives near Chaderghat’s little bridge.

On Thursday, Minister KT Rama Rao visited few areas in the city including the Hussain Sagar lake, to closely monitor the water situation. Following that, he held a teleconference with Municipal Administration officials and District collectors emphasizing on prioritizing the prevention of any loss of life.

Speaking to the media, KTR said, "Our main objective is to avoid loss of life and we are keeping maximum efforts. We have completed desilting works in the city and have also fixed gates to 135 ponds."

"Despite the severity of the current rainfall, I would like to highlight the significant progress in flood control through the Strategic Nala Development Program (SNDP) in the city. This improvement is noteworthy, compared to the situations in the previous years. I strongly advise all citizens to limit outdoor activities to essential needs only and prioritize personal safety by adhering to the authorities' guidelines until the alert subsides," said KTR

Meanwhile, mayor Gadwal Vijayalaxmi met with authorities to discuss the situation. She spoke to the zonal commissioners and directed them to take the required actions. She directed authorities to notify ground personnel and identify low-lying regions and susceptible locations so that people are not inconvenienced in the event of floods.

The recently finished SNDP improvements at Malakpet’s Railway Under Bridge (RuB) are said to be alleviating the choke areas. However, the efficiency of the recent desilting efforts before monsoon will be put to the test since 45 bastis on the Azampura side remain at risk.

Considerable increase in water levels

Two Osman Sagar crest gates were removed on July 26 after Telangana declared a Red Alert warning for heavy rains.

Following a significant influx from Gandipet, the HMWSSB (Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board) ordered the opening of the gates to let the water into the Musi River.

Osman Sagar’s full tank level of 1,790 feet is yet to be reached. Continuous rains have increased inflows to 1,200 cusecs, and the water level is 1,787.15 feet.

Four gates at Himayat Sagar were raised by two feet to discharge 1,350 cusecs. Meanwhile, waterlogging on Uppal’s Inner Ring Road has caused traffic mayhem. Attempts are being made to drain the water into the adjacent Nalla Cheruvu.

Potholes are forming around the city as a result of the continuous rains, making it unsafe for commuters to travel.

Similar previous instances

In 2022, the government warned people about flooding during the same period (July third week) after Himayat Sagar had high inflows.

On July 23, 2022, six gates of Osman Sagar were elevated up to 3 feet, with the exception of one gate of Himayat Sagar, to discharge surplus waters. Osman Sagar’s outflows then had reached 1,788 cusecs.