Date:09/08/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/08/09/stories/2008080956710100.htm

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Rain plays havoc in twin cities; throws life out of gear

Staff Reporter

About 4.38 cm rain recorded till 8.30 p.m.; blackouts in several areas of the city

– Photo: K. Ramesh Babu

Nowhere to go: A woman caught in the heavy rain that lashed the twin cities on Friday night.

Hyderabad: The torrential rain that lashed the twin cities on Friday claimed the life of a youth and threw traffic out of gear at many places and inundated several low-lying areas.

Youth electrocuted

An unidentified person aged about 22 was electrocuted while walking in the rain at Rahmat Nagar of S.R. Nagar on Friday. Local people told the police that the youth died after coming in contact with a snapped electric wire lying on the road.

The twin cities received a record 4.38 cm of rain till 8.30 p.m. Most of this rain notably was after 6 p.m.

The blinding downpour which brought traffic to a grinding halt also led to blackouts in several areas of the city depriving many a sports enthusiast the pleasure of watching the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics.

A major part of the old city went without power till late in the night. “There is no power since 6 p.m. and traffic has been held up at Azampura and Yakutpura due to the heavy downpour,” said ex-corporator Amjadullah Khan.

A spate of complaints continued to pour in at the GHMC emergency cell till late in the night.

Wall collapse

Calls complaining of inundation were made from Himayatnagar, Chikkadpally, Nampally, Panjagutta, Fatimanagar at Tolichowki and Old MLA Quarters at Basheerbagh.

Stranded on the roads, commuters waited in the rain - some in the security of their cars, while others were left with no choice but to stay put as rainfall picked up gradually. “I was held up in the traffic for almost an hour. It was a total gridlock and adding to the trouble, some of the vehicles got stranded on the main road itself,” complained Dastagir Nawaaz, a resident of Langar Houz, who was driving back home from Tolichowki.

Pedestrians faced a horrid time with knee deep water on the roads, especially near Malakpet Railway Station, Santosh Nagar, Raj Bhavan Road and Tolichowki. Moreover, a wall collapsed at Quadre Chaman in Jangammet. However, no one was injured in the incident.