Unable to contact kin in rain-affected areas, NRIs spend tense moments

Some NRIs, whose families live in the inundated localities of Baba Nagar and Al Jubail colony, have been frantically trying to contact their families back home to enquire about their well-being

Jeddah: Many NRIs hailing from rain-battered Hyderabad are gradually coming to terms with reality and bracing themselves for bitter developments back home. Baba Nagar is often referred to as mini Gulf since the locality has a significant number of NRIs working in Gulf countries.

Some NRIs, whose families live in the inundated localities of Baba Nagar and Al Jubail colony, have been frantically trying to contact their families back home to enquire about their well-being.
Their concerns deepened when they were unable to contact them mainly due to cellular towers turning dysfunctional. “I didn’t sleep for the entire night and was desperately trying to contact my family,” said Mohammed Dilshad, resident of B block Baba Nagar colony, who works here.

---

“It is hard to communicate with anyone in water submerged areas as cellular phone communication has stopped functioning. Also, I have not been able to ask somebody to visit my family since the roads are flooded,” he told Telangana Today’.

“Water has been flowing at Baba Nagar B-Block on Sunday morning after the collapse of a portion of Balapur Lake. The water flow of the lake has submerged several residential areas, including Hafiz Baba Nagar, Omer Colony, Nabeel Colony and other adjoining areas”, he said quoting his friends, whom he was finally able to speak to after extensive efforts.

“My family had to leave the house at midnight immediately after they were alerted about flooding, I have lost everything in the home, which was at ground floor”, said Mohammed Sayeed, another resident of the same locality and who also works in Jeddah.

Al Jubail Colony of Bahadurpura Assembly constituency in Hyderabad is one of the worst affected by the floods. Named after Jubail, an industrial town situated on the coast of Arabian Sea in Saudi Arabia and Petrochemical hub of the Middle east, is home to numerous Hyderabadi professionals.

“We were not aware of the existence of Al Jubail colony in Hyderabad till recent rains”, said Abdul Salam Zubair, who works in the Petrochemical conglomerate in Jubail. Steady erosion of lakes and indiscriminate encroachment of its water bodies with blatant disregard to rules have left many parts of the city vulnerable to heavy flooding during excess rainfall.

It is mostly Gulf NRIs, hailing from various parts of the old city, have purchased the properties in these areas.

---

Now you can get handpicked stories from Telangana Today on Telegram everyday. Click the link to subscribe.

Click to follow Telangana Today Facebook page and Twitter .

---