Hyderabad: Torrential rains linked to a low-pressure system battered Kamareddy and Medak for two straight days, crippling daily life across northern Telangana. The floods swamped villages, snapped power lines, damaged homes, and blocked arterial roads. Rail services stalled after several track sections went under water. District administrations activated control rooms, mobilised boats, and moved relief material as evacuations scaled up through the day.
Officials said nine mandals in Kamareddy reported heavy damage. The district recorded an average 49 cm of rainfall, an extraordinary figure for a two‑day spell. Low‑lying colonies in Kamareddy town turned into pools. Water swept through lanes, breaching compound walls and pushing debris into homes. Power supply failed in many habitations as lines tripped for safety. Farmers watched helplessly as fields disappeared under brown sheets of fast‑moving water.
In Rajampet, the disaster turned fatal. Residents said the Devuni Cheruvu tank breached under intense inflows. Water rushed into nearby houses with force. Dr. Vinay, aged 28, attempted to divert the inflow by opening an outlet in a wall. The structure collapsed while he worked, killing him on the spot. Neighbours called it a stark warning about sudden tank failures during extreme bursts. Police registered a case and helped the family as rescue teams cleared the site.
Relief teams sounded high alerts in YYellareddy, Banswada, and Jukkal mandals as streams rose sharply. Revenue and police personnel shifted residents from vulnerable hamlets to safer shelters. Ward volunteers and village staff carried out door‑to‑door warnings. Emergency kitchens supplied cooked food. Tankers delivered drinking water where pipelines failed. Loudspeaker announcements urged people to stay indoors, avoid flooded crossings, and keep children away from culverts.
Road connectivity frayed as the rain strengthened. Rural buses halted services on several routes. Panchayat roads crumbled at culvert approaches. Motorists reported vehicles stalling in waist‑deep stretches. Bulldozers pushed fallen trees and silt aside to reopen narrow corridors for ambulances and supply trucks. Night visibility remained poor in many pockets due to continuing showers and power outages.
Kamareddy and Medak reel as Telangana floods trigger mass evacuations
In neighbouring Medak, local authorities faced similar pressure. Over‑topped streams submerged connecting roads and cut off habitations. The situation at Shankarampet mandal drew immediate attention when floodwater entered a government residential school. Nearly 350 students were trapped in dormitory blocks. SDRF teams and local responders moved in with inflatable boats. They evacuated the children in phases, prioritising the youngest and those with medical needs. Parents gathered at the gate as officials arranged temporary shelters and served meals.
Papannapet mandal saw heavy inflows into the Manjeera river. The Ellapur bridge went under water, forcing a complete traffic shutdown. Police raised barricades and posted personnel to prevent risky crossings. Farmers downstream reported submergence of paddy, maize, and cotton. Fodder stocks soaked for hours and turned unusable. Cattle sheds took damage at the foundations as water stood around the structures.
The South Central Railway confirmed widespread disruption to services.
Track sections at Kamareddy, Bikanur, Akkannapet, and Medak were submerged. Safety protocols required immediate suspension. Consequently, services including Kacheguda–Nizamabad, Kacheguda–Medak, Bodhan–Kacheguda, and Adilabad–Tirupati were cancelled on Wednesday. Several other trains faced diversions. Officials indicated more cancellations were possible if water levels stayed above danger marks. Engineering teams patrolled vulnerable metres, checked ballast stability, and prepared for restoration once receding began.
To assist passengers, helplines were activated at multiple stations. Kacheguda: 9063318082. Nizamabad: 970329671. Kamareddy: 9281035664. Secunderabad: 040‑27786170. Announcements asked travellers to confirm schedules before starting. Stations provided drinking water and basic assistance for stranded families. Railway Protection Force personnel managed crowds at ticket counters and foot overbridges.
Public health units issued advisories as standing water persisted.
Officials warned of dengue and malaria risks over the next week. They urged residents to drain containers, use mosquito nets, and avoid outside food. Health centres stocked IV fluids, ORS sachets, and essential medicines. Mobile medical teams visited shelters through the evening. Sanitation workers sprayed larvicide in stagnant pockets and cleared garbage mounds carried in by the flow.
Education services also paused. Collectors in Kamareddy and Medak declared holidays for all schools and colleges until further notice. Teachers joined relief work at shelters as volunteers. Local NGOs distributed blankets, sanitary products, and infant food. Community halls and classrooms hosted displaced families on mats as officials mapped longer‑term accommodation if rain persisted.
Agriculture losses widened across the two districts. Farmers reported flattened paddy, water‑logged maize, and rotting cotton bolls. Young seedlings in nurseries were washed away. Fish rearing ponds overtopped and stock escaped into fields. Veterinary teams moved to larger villages to check cattle for injuries and disease after long hours in damp enclosures. Officials said preliminary assessments had begun but a full picture would emerge after waters receded.
Transport connectivity remained the biggest challenge. In many stretches, flood currents scoured road edges. Warning tape and guards kept two‑wheelers out. Excavators reinforced vulnerable shoulders with stone and sandbags. Village panchayats pooled tractors to ferry milk and essential groceries. Fuel stations reported queues as delivery trucks struggled to reach depots on time.
Meanwhile, emergency control rooms coordinated across departments. Command centres tracked inflows into major tanks and reservoirs. Irrigation staff watched gauges and released water where necessary to protect bunds. Police patrolled bridges through the night to deter risky foot traffic. Power utilities deployed linemen in shifts, restored feeders where ground clearance allowed, and replaced damaged insulators.
Meteorologists forecast more rain over the next 48 hours. Officials said teams would stay deployed in vulnerable mandals with boats, life jackets, and ropes. Gram panchayat leaders compiled lists of elderly residents and pregnant women for priority evacuation. Volunteers arranged charging points for phones inside shelters so families could contact relatives. Relief camps created child‑friendly spaces with games and reading corners to ease stress.
The human cost remained visible despite the rapid response.
Families in inundated colonies salvaged documents, school books, and utensils in plastic bags. Small merchants shifted stock to attic spaces. Street vendors lost inventory to the surge. Many residents said the current spell felt stronger than recent seasons. However, they also praised quick rescues and steady supply of cooked meals at shelters.
By late Wednesday night, both Kamareddy and Medak continued on high alert. Administrations reiterated priorities: prevent further loss of life, maintain essential supplies, and restore transport as soon as safe. Teams planned dawn inspections of culverts, school buildings, and health centres. Once receding began, focus would shift to bleaching powder distribution, vector control, and compensation surveys.
The Telangana floods forced a large‑scale, coordinated response across departments. Yet the episode also underlined longer‑term needs. Drainage upgrades, tank safety audits, and early‑warning networks can reduce future damage. For now, officials urged patience, caution near water bodies, and strict avoidance of risky crossings. The next 48 hours will decide how quickly life returns to normal.