Cyclone Michaung: Heavy rains lash Telangana

HYDERABAD / HANAMKONDA /KHAMMAM / KARIMNAGAR / ADILABAD: With Cyclone Michaung making landfall in Andhra Pradesh, several districts of Telangana received light to heavy rainfall on Tuesday. As per the Telangana State Development Planning Society (TSDPS), Bhadradri Kothagudem received very heavy rainfall, with Aswaraopeta recording 140. 3 mm of rainfall till 8 pm — the highest in the state.

The TSDPS also noted that Khammam received heavy rainfall, with Madhira recording 98. 3 mm of rainfall till 8 pm. The rains caused minimum temperatures to drop, with Hakimpet recording the lowest temperature of 18.

7°C, the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Hyderabad, said. The maximum temperature in Hanamkonda came down by 6. 6°C.

Due to the cyclone, district administrations are taking precautionary measures to minimise the loss of lives and damage to property. The IMD has issued an alert for the Jangaon, Hanamkonda, Warangal, Mahabubabad and Mulugu districts. The region is at risk of experiencing wind-based downpours.

District collectors and revenue authorities have been cautioned to take precautions in light of the ongoing rains in these areas over the past 24 hours. Addressing the media on Tuesday, Mulugu Collector Ila Tripathi urged the people living in Kondai and Dodala villages to exercise caution due to heavy rains. She asked the villagers to avoid fishing in local ponds and the Godavari river.

Tripathi also instructed the village sarpanches to collaborate with Roads and Building (R&B) authorities for preventive measures. Meanwhile. Mulugu Superintendent of Police (SP) Gaush Alam alerted the disaster response forces in anticipation of heavy rains.

He highlighted the preparedness of police and revenue teams, equipped with ropes, tubes, and woodcutters to address any incidents and protect the villagers. He advised against visiting the Jampanna vagu, Gundala vagu and Godavari catchment areas due to potential heavy downpours associated with Cyclone Michaung. The IMD has also issued red alerts for Khammam and Bhadradri Kothagudem districts.

District collectors VP Gowtham and Priyanka Ala conducted meetings and teleconferences with officials, instructing them to be vigilant. The leaves of employees were cancelled, and they were instructed to be on duty, anticipating heavy rains in the coming three days. Both collectors urged people to stay indoors unless necessary and declared a holiday for all schools on Tuesday due to the heavy rains.

They also advised residents in low-lying areas to remain alert. The collectors instructed irrigation officials to focus on tanks that might be at risk of breaching due to continuous rainfall. Cyclone control rooms have been established in Kothagudem, Bhadrachalam and Khammam.

Meanwhile, the district administration has issued an alert for low-lying areas because of the rising floodwaters in the Godavari and Munneru rivers. The elected Palair constituency candidate, Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy, enquired about the situation, urging officials to take precautions and deploy rescue teams. Farms of cotton and chilli crops have also been inundated in both the districts, officials said.

Moderate untimely rainfall was reported in the erstwhile Karimnagar district due to the cyclone. The sudden cool weather on Tuesday morning led farmers to bring their paddy to procurement centres covered with tarpaulins to protect it from the rain. Collector Pamela Satpathy, along with Additional Collector K Laxmi Kiran, visited several villages and directed authorities to expedite paddy procurement to minimise problems for the farmers.

Despite light rains, people stayed indoors in some areas. At Renikunta, a tree fell on the Rajiv Rahadari (Hyderabad-Karimnagar) highway, disrupting vehicular traffic temporarily. Locals requested immediate removal to prevent accidents.

In the erstwhile Adilabad district, the impact of Cyclone Michaung has brought cool weather and sporadic rainfall. District officials are on high alert, closely monitoring the situation. Farmers are concerned about the impact of incessant rains on cotton picking.

Officials said the cloudy conditions would affect the yield of red grams, which is at the flowering stage. Meanwhile, paddy purchasing centres have been instructed to take measures to avoid damage to the crops. The South Central Railway (SCR) has announced the restoration of several services : Tirupati – Secunderabad (12763), Sec’bad – Gudur (12710), Tirupati – Lingampalli (12733), Sec’bad – Tirupati (12764), Kakinada Town – SMVT Bengaluru (17210), Gudur – Sec’bad (12709) and Lingampalli – Tirupati (12734) Chief Secretary Santhi Kumari held a teleconference with collectors of Bhadradri-Kothagudem, Khammam, Mulugu, Hanamakonda, Warangal, Janagaon, Mahabubabad and Suryapet districts on Tuesday.

She said that one NDRF team each would be sent to Bhadradri-Kothagudem and Mulugu districts. The chief secretary directed the officials to ensure that the tanks were not breached. She also instructed them to identify the locations for the rehabilitation of people living in low-lying areas.