WARANGAL: Heavy rain over the past two days triggered flash floods, damaging crops and disrupting transport across the erstwhile Warangal district.
The Meteorological Department has issued red and orange alerts for the next 48 hours, forecasting heavy to very heavy rain in Mahbubabad, Mulugu, Jayashankar Bhupalpally and Warangal districts.
The Godavari is flowing at dangerous levels due to continuous downpours and heavy upstream inflows. At Ramannagudem Pushkar Ghat in Eturnagaram mandal (Mulugu), the water level reached 15.02 metres, prompting the first flood warning.
In Wazeedu mandal, the river stood at 16 metres at Perur. Floodwaters submerged the Reguvagu bridge and blocked National Highway 163 near Tekulagudem, cutting road traffic between Telangana and Chhattisgarh. Police advised commuters to take the longer route via Kaleshwaram in Jayashankar Bhupalpally district and placed barricades to prevent accidents.
Several mandals, including Kesamudram, Inugurthi, Nellikudur and Bayyaram (Mahbubabad), saw heavy rains since morning. District collector Adwait Kumar instructed officials to remain vigilant and urged the public to take precautions.
Agriculture has suffered widespread damage. In Duggondi mandal (Warangal), maize and paddy were flattened by the continuous rain, and farmers fear sprouted grains will be rejected by buyers. In Namligonda village, Station Ghanpur mandal (Jangaon), paddy at the crucial panicle formation stage was flattened, raising fears of heavy losses.
Farmers in Parvathagiri mandal said water released into the local reservoir via the SRSP canal damaged crops they had raised in the reservoir’s catchment, assuming the land would remain dry. They appealed via video message to Wardhannapet MLA K.R. Nagaraju to halt pumping for a month to save the standing paddy, noting that much of their crop is already ruined.
In Narsampet town, the traditional grounds for Saddula Bathukamma and Dasara have turned muddy. Locals, pointing out that the area is narrow and pocked with potholes, urged municipal officials to level the ground ahead of the festivals.
