Telangana Announces Ex-gratia for Families of Three Missing in Floods
Hyderabad: The Telangana government on Monday announced an ex-gratia of ₹5 lakh each to the families of three persons who went missing after being swept away in floodwaters during Sunday’s heavy rains.
In two separate incidents at Asif Nagar and Musheerabad, three men – Arjun (26), his nephew Ramu (25), and Dinesh alias Sunny (26) – were carried away by strong currents that entered residential areas.
HYDRAA’s Disaster Response Force (DRF) and Municipal Emergency Teams (MET) continued search operations on Monday, but there was still no trace of the missing men.
At Asif Nagar’s Afsal Sagar locality, residents said floodwaters entered slum dwellings and carried away household belongings. In one such moment, Arjun tried to retrieve a folding bed from the swirling waters and called Ramu for help. Both were pulled into the nala and swept away. “The flow suddenly increased and dragged them inside,” recalled Mohammed Faizal, a local resident.
In Musheerabad’s Vinobhanagar, Dinesh was washed away after a nala’s retaining wall collapsed. His mother recounted that he had gone to a friend’s house around 7 p.m. to collect some items. “He placed a rice bag on his scooter when the wall gave way. The floodwaters pulled him and the scooter into the drain,” she said in tears. While his bike has been recovered, there has been no sign of Dinesh.
Four DRF teams are engaged in the search. Families, though clinging to hope, fear the worst. Both Arjun and Ramu are survived by two children each, while Dinesh leaves behind a two-year-old. “Once Arjun slipped, my husband tried to save him but was also swept away. I recently gave birth, and now I must raise my children alone,” Ramu’s wife said, breaking down.
Collector Confirms Relief, HYDRAA Blames Drain Encroachments
Hyderabad District Collector Hari Chandana confirmed the government’s ex-gratia relief and said search operations were in full swing. HYDRAA Commissioner A.V. Ranganath, who inspected the affected sites, noted that several houses in Asif Nagar were built along or over open drains, obstructing natural water flow.
“At one point, a house constructed directly on the drain diverts the water at a sharp 90-degree angle, causing severe backflow and flooding,” he explained. He assured residents that only hazardous structures would be removed. “Some women feared all houses would be demolished. That is not true. A detailed study will be done, and only structures posing immediate danger will be cleared,” he added.
