The first heavy spell of rain in Hyderabad left behind a trail of deaths, destruction, waterlogging and traffic snarls during the peak evening hour. At Kondapur and Madhapur, the roads turned into massive pools of water with some vehicles losing traction and floating. A similar situation prevailed in Krishnanagar in Yousufguda. The steel bridge between Indira Park and Bus Bhavan got flooded forcing motorists to slow down. Near Chatta Bazar, the old entrance arch of Salar Jungs family residence collapsed. While power supply was disrupted in many areas, at Chandrayangutta, two persons were electrocuted after coming in contact with electrical wires.

Multiple localities witnessed knee-deep waterlogging. Along the Kondapur-Kothaguda stretch, several cars and two-wheelers were seen partially submerged in rainwater. At the Nayani Narasimha Reddy Steel Bridge, stranded commuters were forced to push their two-wheelers through the water as heavy showers brought traffic to a near standstill across several parts of the city.

By around 4 p.m., dark clouds had enveloped several parts of the city. Heavy winds accompanied by intense rain lashed areas including Nacharam, Habsiguda, Tarnaka, Secunderabad and Begumpet, catching many commuters off guard. Several residents were seen taking shelter under Metro stations as the sudden spell disrupted evening travel. Over the next three hours, the rain brought traffic movement to a near standstill in several parts of the city.

All the vaunted clean up drive and monsoon preparedness of the newly created Cyberabad Municipal Corporation came undone as motorists took to social media sharing videos and photographs of traffic chaos and waterlogging. Slow-moving traffic were reported from Puranapul, the stretch from Jubilee Hills towards the Durgam Cheruvu Cable Bridge, Karbala Maidan, BRK Bhavan, Shaikpet bridge, Hafeezpet, Kondapur, Khajaguda junction, ITC Kohenur, Gachibowli flyover, Malakpet, Laxmi Nagar towards Attapur, Steel Bridge, Telugu Thalli flyover, Mehdipatnam, Masab Tank, Madhapur and Wipro Junction.

In the Old City, a portion of the slab of the heritage kaman at Chatta Bazar collapsed onto power lines, damaging electrical infrastructure and causing a short circuit. Following the incident, traffic was diverted from Chatta Bazar towards Madina. Elsewhere, a tree fell on the JNTU service road, adding to traffic disruptions.

Several parts of the city received first spell of this year’s monsoon on Tuesday | Video Credit: N RAVI KUMAR

According to data from Telangana Development Planning Society, as of 9 p.m., Vinayak Nagar in Malkajgiri recorded the highest rainfall of 12.9 cm followed by 8.7 cm in Bansilalpet, 7.9 cm in Amberpet, 7.8 cm in GHMC head office, 7.4 cm in Vidya Nagar, 6.5 cm in Musheerabad, 6.2 cm in Secunderabad, 5.9 cm in Falaknuma, 5.8 cm in Charminar, 5.7 cm in Amberpet, 5.7 cm in Mettuguda, 5.6 cm in Goshamahal, 5.5 cm in Gunfoundry, 5.3 cm in Miyapur, 5.2 cm in Moosapet, 5 cm in Begumpet, 4.9 cm in Mondamarket, 4.8 cm in Malakpet, 4.4 cm in Shaikpet, 4.3 cm in Nampally and 3.9 cm in Langar Houz.

Traffic police personnel from Hyderabad, Cyberabad and Malkajgiri commissionerates were deployed on the ground to ensure smooth flow of traffic. Disaster Response Force (DRF) personnel from Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA) were seen clearing waterlogging at junctions.