Telangana Rains: Thousands left without drinking water, electricity due to flooding

In the aftermath of relentless rains, nearly 6,000 habitations across six districts in Telangana have been left without access to drinking water. The damage caused by the floods has affected rural water supply pipelines, submerged electricity substations, and pump houses, leaving many villages marooned with limited access to potable water. The floods on Saturday and Sunday severely disrupted the ground support structure of the pipeline network, particularly in the districts of Khammam, Bhadradri-Kothagudem, Mahabubabad, Suryapet, Nizamabad, and Nagarkurnool.

Telangana Rain: Efforts to Restore Water Supply

Efforts to restore the water supply are being carried out urgently. However, as of Tuesday, 1,700 habitations were still without drinking water. The health department and Mission Bhagiratha officials have advised residents to rely on boiled bore water until the regular water supply resumes. A Mission Bhagiratha official emphasized that the situation would have worsened had the rains continued, as repair work would have been impossible.

Power Disruptions Compound the Crisis

The floods also led to widespread power disruptions, further complicating the situation. The power outages halted the pumping of drinking water in many areas. In Peddavoora panchayat of Suryapet, a former ward member highlighted that water supply was halted due to the submergence of power stations and pump houses. Mobile tankers have been deployed to supply water wherever possible, while residents in areas inaccessible to tankers are surviving on boiled bore water.

Restoration Efforts Underway

Electricity officials managed to restore power supply more quickly than expected, partly due to reduced demand. The ongoing efforts have brought some relief, with Mission Bhagiratha and rural water supply engineer-in-chief Krupakar Reddy confirming that water supply would be restored to 800 of the affected habitations by Tuesday night, with the remaining areas expected to receive water by Wednesday evening or earlier.