Thirteen of seventeen of the Himayatsagar reservoir’s gates were lifted in Hyderabad as the inflow kept increasing on Wednesday morning due to heavy rains. The decision was taken as the water level touched its full reservoir level (FRL) of 1763.500 ft.
Four gates were opened at midnight, which was done after people in low lying areas were told to evacuate. According to officials, the inflow at the reservoir is 21450 cusecs with an increasing trend, and an outflow 22145 cusecs. Water from the Himayatsagar reservoir was released into the Musi river.
The total water storage capacity of Himayatsagar is 2.97 TMC, and as of 7.30 am, full reservoir level was maintained.
As of Wednesday morning 7.30 am 13 out of 17 gates #Himayatsagar were opened. #HyderabadRains @thenewsminute pic.twitter.com/Tmzc9SEYUo
— CharanTeja (@CharanT16) October 14, 2020
Over the past few days, the city has been witnessing incessant rains which has inundated low lying areas. The last time the gates were lifted was in 2010, when the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWSSB) lifted the sluice gates of Himayat Sagar.
The Hussain Sagar lake in the heart of Hyderabad is also seeing a heavy inflow of water.
Residents in localities such as Kismatpura, Bandlaguda, Hyderguda, Langar Houz and Karwan along the Musi river were alerted.
HMWSSB authorities, Hyderabad and Rangareddy district officials, GHMC disaster rescue teams along with NDRF (National Disaster Response Force) are taking up rescue operations.
According to the Telangana State Development Planning Society data as of 8 am this morning, Hayathnagar received 288.8 mm of rainfall. Saroornagar received 273.5 mm of rainfall. Musheerabad followed with 258.3 mm of rainfall. Uppal, Saroornagar, Medipally, Bandlaguda, Secunderabad, Balanagar, Malakjgiri, Charminar, Alwal, Marredpally, Keesara, Asifnagar are some of the other areas that received extremely heavy rainfall.