CCTV footage from parts of Hyderabad has captured how rising water levels due to heavy rains in the city has caused severe flooding in both commercial and residential areas. Videos from Chandrayangutta in the Old City show an inundation of water and waste early Sunday morning.
Several houses in Hafiz Baba Nagar, Omar Colony, Phool Bagh, India Nagar, Rajiv Nagar and Shivaji Nagar were inundated in under two hours. The CCTV footage shows water entering into residential areas and houses around 3 am on October 18.
One video shows a street, where people were gathered early on Sunday morning. However, in just half an hour, the video shows water levels rising at an alarming rate and flowing down the street, leaving the road inaccessible. Another video on the same night shows a gate at a street corner, with people walking around the area at 3 am. About twenty minutes later, The water levels begin to rise and flow past the gate, bringing waste and debris along with it. A third video shows a home being flooded with water and household items floating around.
The city has witnessed major flooding over the last week as heavy rains have slammed the area. Now, a forecast of heavy rains over the next few days has put Hyderabad and Secunderabad on alert. The Indian Army said on Tuesday that teams were being kept on standby, at the request of the state government for possible rescue operations.
The arrival of the rains amidst the coronavirus pandemic has caused further challenges in the city. While relief centres are undertaking COVID-19 tests for all evacuees, rescue workers and relief operations have not always been able to adhere to COVID-19 safety guidelines and physical distancing.
Last week’s flooding saw trees and electricity polls being uprooted and cars submerged under water. Over 35,000 people have been evacuated due to the rains and 61 deaths have been reported so far.
Watch CCTV footage here: