Telangana: Traffic Suspended On Hyderabad-Vijayawada Highway Due To Flooding

Vehicles heading towards Vijayawada from Hyderabad were being diverted at Kodad in Telangana, leading to a massive traffic jam.

Taffic between Hyderabad and Vijayawada came to a standstill as an overflowing Munneru River inundated National Highway 65 at Itavaram near Nandigama in NTR district on Friday. The heavy flow downstream in Khammam district resulted in the flooding of the key national highway, leading to massive traffic snarl.

Vehicles heading towards Vijayawada from Hyderabad were being diverted at Kodad in Telangana. The diversion led to an extensive traffic jam up to a distance of five kilometres on the Kodad-Huzurnagar road. The highway was also flooded at the Keesara tollgate in Krishna district, Andhra Pradesh.

In view of the floods, the Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) has suspended its services between Hyderabad and Vijayawada on the national highway.

TSRTC Managing Director VC Sajjanar said buses were now being operated through an alternate route via Miryalguda, Piduguralla, and Guntur, with a frequency of every 30 minutes.

The situation left many passengers travelling by TSRTC and Andhra State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) buses stranded for hours on Thursday evening. Initially, police attempted to regulate traffic on one side of the four-way highway. However, due to both roads being submerged, they eventually had to suspend the movement of vehicles entirely.

NDRF Conducts Rescue Operation In Flood-Hit Telangana Village

The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) rescued people trapped due to floods in Kondai village, located in Telangana's Mulugu district. NDRF teams collaborated with the district administration and police to rescue the stranded villagers as overflowing water from Jampanna Vagu, a rivulet, submerged the village.

Boats were deployed to rescue the stranded villagers. The Minister for Tribal Welfare, Satyvati Rathore, also requested the Army to deploy its helicopters for the rescue operation and closely monitored the ongoing efforts.

On Thursday, at least eight people were washed away in the overflowing Jampanna Vagu. By Friday, the bodies of five victims were found.