A father-daughter duo, travelling in a car to Hyderabad airport, were washed away by the overflowing Akeruvagu river at a bridge in Purushothamaiahgudem, Maripeda mandal in Telangana, on September 1. The victims have been identified as Nunawat Motilal and his daughter Nunawat Ashwini from Khammam district. While Ashwini's body was later recovered, the search for her father, Motilal, is still ongoing.
The pair, hailing from Gangaram Thanda in Singareni mandal, were on their way to Hyderabad to reach Rajiv Gandhi International Airport. The pair made a last-minute phone call to friends and family and said their car had been submerged in the rising floodwaters, with the water reaching up to their necks. The call was disconnected as they were speaking, and the family could not reach them later. Though search and rescue teams were quickly deployed, the car has not been found so far.
According to reports, Ashwini, an agriculture scientist, was travelling to the airport with her father as she was due to catch a flight to Raipur to attend a conference.
Heavy rains have been lashing several parts of Telangana since August 31 under the impact of a depression in the Bay of Bengal and the active monsoon. Lakes, tanks, ponds, and other water bodies were overflowing, leading to the inundation of low-lying areas. As per the forecast by the India Meteorological Department, a red alert was issued for 11 districts. These districts are likely to receive extremely heavy rainfall. An orange alert was issued for Hyderabad.
Various wings of the Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MA&UD) department were directed to ensure that there is no loss of life or property. Hyderabad District Collector has already issued a holiday for primary and secondary schools on September 2 as a precautionary measure.
GHMC Commissioner Amrapali Kata has requested citizens to stay at home in view of the continuing rains. She appealed to people to not step out unless absolutely essential. “Do not let children and old people walk on the roads by themselves. Pedestrians and two-wheelers are requested not to walk into/drive into water in case there is some road damage underneath,” she said.