Post by : Rameen Ariff

Cyclone Montha has unleashed prolonged downpours across Telangana after crossing the Andhra Pradesh coast and weakening into a deep depression over north Andhra Pradesh and adjoining Telangana, leaving extensive flooding and disruption in its wake.

Persistent, very heavy rainfall since early Wednesday flooded low-lying settlements, damaged standing crops and severed road links at multiple points. Tracks at Warangal and Dornakal stations went underwater, prompting cancellation and diversion of several services. Affected districts include Warangal, Hanamkonda, Mulugu, Mahabubabad, Jayashankar Bhupalapally, Nalgonda, Siddipet, Yadadri Bhuvanagiri, Sircilla and Nagarkurnool.

Bheemdevarapalle in Hanamkonda recorded an extraordinary 41.9 cm of rain in just over 13 hours. Other heavy rainfall measurements were Kallada (36.7 cm), Urus (34.3 cm) and Redlawada (33.9 cm) in Warangal district, and Dharmasagar (33.28 cm) in Hanamkonda. The Telangana Development Planning Society reported 35 locations with more than 20.5 cm of rain and 68 sites exceeding 11.5 cm.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued red warnings for Jangaon, Warangal, Hanamkonda, Mahabubabad, Siddipet, Yadadri Bhuvanagiri, Karimnagar and Sircilla, while Adilabad, Nirmal, Asifabad, Mancherial, Jagtiyal, Peddapalli and Bhupalapally were placed under orange alert.

Transport services and everyday routines were severely affected. Warangal Railway Station saw trains such as the Vijayawada Intercity Express and the East Coast Express suspended, and Dornakal station in Mahabubabad reported similar operational disruptions. Several streets in Hanamkonda were under water and the local bus stand resembled a lagoon.

Emergency incidents were reported across the state: in Khammam district a DCM vehicle was swept away near the Nimmavagu stream, and a man was rescued after being stranded in the Kagna river at Vikarabad. In Nalgonda, rising waters trapped about 500 students at a government residential school in Kommapalli village, necessitating large-scale rescue efforts.

Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy has declared a high alert, directing district authorities to evacuate residents from vulnerable low-lying zones and move them to relief camps. The State Irrigation Department is closely tracking reservoir and river levels, sandbags are being deployed at fill-prone sites, and Disaster Response teams from the SDRF and NDRF are conducting rescue and relief operations across the most affected districts.

Officials have urged people to avoid flooded areas, comply with evacuation orders and cooperate with rescue teams as Telangana contends with continued heavy rains and mounting water levels following Cyclone Montha.

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