Heavy rain hits life in 5 Telangana districts

• Two sisters drown in Godavari
• Coal production hit in Karimnagar, Adilabad and Khammam belts
• Flood water enters several residential colonies in Nizamabad
• Transportation to some villages in Maharashtra affected

Hyderabad: Heavy rain continued to lash Nizamabad, Adilabad, Warangal, Nalgonda and Khammam districts, paralyzing life for the second day on Wednesday. In a tragic incident, two sisters of Godavarikhani in Karimnagar district, Rajasri and Durga Bhavani, drowned in Godavari while conducting the funeral rituals of their grandmother on Wednesday. One body was found by swimmers after five hours, while search is on for the other. They were daughters of Shankar and Lavanya of Sitanagar. Many low-lying areas in Nizamabad district, which received 12 cm of rain, the heaviest of the day, were submerged. Water entered houses in Gowthamnagar, Islampur, Khaja Colony, Habeebnagar, Autonagar areas. Residents of Islampur and Khaja Colony faced severe hardship, as their houses were under water. Yellareddy received 4 cm of rain. A canal in Darpalli mandal was breached, affecting vehicular traffic between Indalvai and Darpalli. Heavy flood water is flowing into the Kalyani project. Its two gates were lifted and 250 cusecs of water released. Following heavy inflows of 1,909 cusecs, the Nizamsagar project level touched 1,382.58 ft, as against its maximum of 1,405 ft. Koulan Nala, in Jukkal mandal, is also overflowing, after the water level reached 457.5 metres, just (point five metres) short of the full level. In Adilabad district, Penganga is overflowing the Tonkini-Tatichettu Orre Bridge, in Sirpur mandal, affecting movement of traffic to 100 villages in Kouthala, Bejjur and Sirpur mandals. Crops in about 1,500 acres in Bela mandal and a bridge near Udikili were submerged, affecting vehicle movement to Maharashtra. A bridge near Venkatraopet was under three feet of water, hitting traffic to Bodisham in Maharashtra. Four villages in Adilabad district---Talai, Ippapalli, Bheemaram and Pathasomini---were severely affected scaring the residents after the Pranahita at Bejjur received heavy inflows. Crops got inundated and transport links got disrupted. Bejjur tahsildar Nehru Babu spoke over phone with some residents advising them to be brave and alert. He briefed the ollector on the flood situation. Following incessant rain in Warangal district, several low-lying areas were inundated. Chalivadu, in Parkal mandal, is overflowing. Godavari is rising at Ramannagudam in Eturunagaram mandal. All streams in the Eturunagaram agency area are overflowing following continuous heavy rain. Dayyalavagu and Jeedivagu are in spate disrupting transportation to several villages. Duggondi stream, in Narsampet, is flooded because of heavy rain since Tuesday night. Warangal and Hanamkonda received 50.6 and 72.4 mm of rain. In Nalgonda district, the Musi reservoir level rose to 626 ft after it received 500 cusecs. With the coal-belt area in Karimnagar district receiving heavy rain in the last three days coal production was severely affected. Absence of workmen contributed to the crisis. The open-cast mines were inundated damaging roads and rendering dumpers immobile. Production in four open-cast mines in Ramagundam region was reduced to 30 per cent. In Adilabad and Khammam districts too, the coal production was impacted. In Khammam district, the level in Taliperu reservoir touched 72.5 metres, just 1.5 metres short of its FRL. four of its gates were lifted and 5,000 cusecs released. Two rifles of three police personnel returning from 'bandobust' duty were washed away in Shanka Vagu in Venkatapuram mandal while they were crossing the stream. The police have started searching for the weapons. Heavy rain is continuously lashing West Godavari district under the influence of the low pressure area in the Bay, severely affecting the aqua sector and fish export. Pedapadu received six cm of rain followed by Eluru (4.8 cm), Buttaigudam (4.6 cm), Undi (3.7 cm), Koyyalagudam (4.3 cm). The average rainfall in the district is 2.67 cm.