An intense spell of rain on Wednesday that lasted just over half-an-hour brought Hyderabad to a grinding halt. What ensued were swirling waters near manholes, severe waterlogging, and massive traffic snarls across several areas of the city. Commuters were left drenched, stranded, and faced with travel times of up to three quarters of an hour longer than usual. Revellers transporting Ganesh idols found themselves in a spot of bother.
The downpour, which caught residents off guard, began around 5 p.m. According to data, it was most intense in Langar Houz, where 94 mm of rainfall was recorded at the automatic weather station. Followed closely by Shivrampally with 72.8 mm and Shaikpet with 61.8 mm of rainfall. In total, eight automatic weather stations within the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) limits reported rainfall between 40 mm and 50 mm. However, areas in the Old City, such as Charminar with 12.8 mm and Saidabad with 4.8 mm, experienced significantly less rainfall.
While weather during the day was sultry, the repercussions of sudden burst of rain towards the evening were felt on the city’s key stretches. Main carriageways in Begumpet, several parts of Secunderabad including Paradise, Tank Bund, and other areas such as Abids witnessed severe traffic congestion. The downpour halted traffic at Pillar No. 190 in Attapur.
“Imagine reaching the Rajiv Gandhi statue (near Raj Bhavan Road) from the Lifestyle building taking over 20 minutes. That happened today,” said another commuter.
Nagarjuna Circle became a nightmare for commuters, as vehicles barely managed to inch along. The wait for traffic to move became so vexatious that some two-wheeler riders, seeking a way out, crossed over to the other side of the road.
“The traffic refused to budge along Road No. 1. Given this situation, I preferred to walk back home from office which is opposite J V R Park to my house on Road Number 14, Banjara Hills,” said Mirza Roshan, an entrepreneur. Others said that what is usually a 20-minute commute took them a little over an hour.
One of the most critical points of congestion was the Punjagutta Flyover, where waterlogging became a motorist’s nightmare. Several drivers tried to navigate the waterlogged entry point of the flyover, including SUV owners who were unsure whether to proceed. This led to a complete standstill for about half an hour for traffic coming from GVK One and heading towards the Punjagutta Flyover. The flow of traffic from Begumpet towards Punjagutta was slightly better.
Motorists and two-wheelers had harrowing experiences along various routes, including road number 12 in Banjara Hills, KBR Park Circle, and Zehra Nagar, as traffic ground to a halt in these areas. Massive traffic snarls and confusion was also witnessed in several past of the IT Corridor, in and around Mindspace and the IKEA junction.
