HYDRA chief visits low-lying neighbourhoods in Hyderabad

Hyderabad: The Hyderabad Disaster Response and Assets Monitoring Protection (HYDRA) commissioner, AV Ranganath visited the neighbourhoods of Tolichowki and Shaikpet on Sunday, September 1, monitoring potential risks of flash floods and waterlogging in low-lying regions of the city.

The HYDRA chief reviewed the city’s preparedness for dealing with hazardous conditions induced by the spell of heavy downpours.

Incessant rains lashing over the city had caused severe waterlogging and flood-like conditions in many parts of the city, especially in low-lying areas where floodwater drainage is close to non-existent.

HYDRA has recently been ramping up its efforts to remove illegal constructions around the lakes in Hyderabad, which have been posing severe threats to the city’s water retention capacity.

Given heavy rains, that are forecasted to continue till Tuesday, September 3, chief minister Revanth Reddy had directed the officials to direct flood water collected during the rains for future use.

If channelled properly, the lakes in Hyderabad would prove to be the source of the city’s water needs during the dry seasons in the future. Illegal constructions in places, that once were the inlets to the lakes of Hyderabad, block the rainwater from entering the lakes leading to flash floods and waterlogging during the rainy season, and water scarcity in the summer spells.