Heavy rains throw Hyderabad traffic and daily life out of gear

Prolonged heavy rains have disrupted daily life in Hyderabad, flooding roads, stalling traffic, and affecting businesses. Many commuters missed long-distance trains due to severe jams. Citizens are now urging the government to extend metro timings to reduce monsoon-time inconvenience

Hyderabad: Heavy rains have severely disrupted civic life and business activities across Hyderabad in recent days.

Although no major incidents such as building collapses or loss of lives were reported during the past ten days of rainfall, flyovers, underpasses, and major roads were flooded, leading to significant traffic disruptions.

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Residents faced interruptions in their daily routines due to flooding and waterlogging in several areas. Local businesses incurred substantial losses as shops and offices remained closed for extended periods.

While a light drizzle was reported during the day, the city experienced cold temperatures at night. Additionally, employees returning home encountered severe frustration after being caught in traffic jams, with over 60 percent relying on public transport.

For instance, on August 7, 2023, a heavy downpour struck the city. People intending to travel to various destinations in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana waited at bus stops for over four hours to catch private buses or trains in areas including Gachibowli, Manikonda, Madhapur, Aramghar, BHEL, Patancheru, Miyapur, Nizampet, Kukatpally, S R Nagar, Ameerpet, Punjagutta, Khairatabad, Telephone Bhavan Circle, and Lakdikapul.

Many individuals who had reserved their tickets two months in advance were trapped in traffic jams and could not reach railway stations on time. As a result, they missed trains scheduled between 6 pm and 11 pm. All major roads were inundated with two to three feet of knee-deep water, causing vehicles to move bumper to bumper.

People are urging the government to consider extending metro rail operations to run round-the-clock until the monsoon ends to ease commuter inconvenience.

More than a dozen low-lying residential colonies across the city were inundated following the heavy downpour. Nalas overflowed, resulting in widespread flooding.