Floodwaters submerge railway quarters in southern India, spark outrage
by Ekta ChaubeyIn a concerning incident in southern India’s Telangana, heavy rains caused floodwaters to inundate railway quarters, leaving locals struggling to cope.
The incident took place in the Bellampalli Caltex area of the Mancherial district on August 24.
Visuals showed huts and infrastructure partially submerged, with residents wading through knee-deep water, making it challenging to navigate. The flooding appeared to have breached homes, putting the survival of the affected residents at risk.
According to reports, floodwaters entered the railway quarters in the station area over two days. On the second day, panic ensued as the flood suddenly invaded local homes. Water from a nearby pond in Radagambala Basti reached the area under construction for a third railway track, flooding pits due to heavy rains. Railway officials then cut through the embankment to prevent water from reaching the tracks, but this action inadvertently worsened the situation, leading to the inundation of nearby quarters and private homes.
Within minutes, floodwaters surged into homes, soaking belongings and forcing residents to flee. Locals reported that the floodwaters breached the homes after the wall for the third railway track was broken. Municipal Chairperson Jakkula Shweta, who visited the site, blamed the flooding on the negligence of the railway contractor. She criticized the lack of warning before the embankment was cut and vowed to bring the issue to the attention of MLA Gaddam Vinod to ensure justice for the affected residents.