Walls across the colony now carry cracks; some show a faint line of mud, indicating how high the water rose.
Published Sep 04, 2025 | 11:34 AM ⚊ Updated Sep 04, 2025 | 1:30 PM
Kamareddy's GR Colony faces the brunt of the Central Telangana Floods.
Synopsis: During the last few days, it was local community leaders, shops, and NRI kith and kin who supported GR Colony. They sent in food, medicine, and blankets to the victims. On that very day, another local community leader had sent in sacks of rice and groceries to help the families recuperate.
“Life came to a halt for a few days. There was so much rain that it was starting to get scary,” Mohammed Akbar, an auto driver in Kamareddy, said.
En route to GR Colony, one of the worst-affected areas in the district, he pointed at the various damaged vehicles and roofs along the road. “Entire autos drowned outside showrooms, as did cars. In a sense, we were cut off from the rest of the state because all routes in and out were inundated,” Akbar recalled speaking to South First.
Akbar’s experience is something lakhs more can attest to in Kamareddy and the surrounding districts like Medak. These districts in central Telangana were the worst hit during the heavy rains and flooding in the last week of August, something that Google now refers to as the “Central Telangana Floods.”
With transport cut off, power outages, and entire houses getting submerged, the residents of Kamareddy’s GR Colony, consisting of under 100 houses, bore the brunt of the downpour. So much so that the entire colony had to be evacuated by DRF forces. Yet, days after their return, entire families are still reeling from the loss, where some are unable to step into their own homes of over 20 years, and others have lost everything they ever owned.
This drains overflow left GR Colony inundated
Once submerged, the narrow streets of GR Colony are now clear, the occasional puddle aside. Yet, the very colony remains scarred by the events which unfolded.
All land besides the roads and houses is marshy, every step sinking into the wet ground. Walls across the colony now carry cracks; some show a faint line of mud, indicating how high the water rose. Clothes hang along the walls of every house, and the furniture once inside remains placed outside in hopes of drying despite the cloudy weather.
Furniture laid outside the house following the flooding
The primary reason for GR Colony’s inundation was the overflow of a nearby drain. With chunks of land surrounding it now caved in, it still flows violently and remains a threat. One of the houses closest to this drain was that of Radha Chella’s.
“We were scared we would die if we remained here. We have a family of about five living here, and as we saw the water levels rise, we knew we had to act quickly,” Radha told South First. Working as domestic help alongside her auto-driver husband, they are the sole earners for their family. “The conditions were horrific that Wednesday. Wherever we went, we saw water, and there were wriggling snakes in them,” she recounted.
“We had to leave, but were still afraid of the snakes. Yet, we moved, holding on to each other, scared for our lives,” she recalled, her eyes tearing up.
“Now that we are back, the house also looks scary. Cracks are forming on the walls, and water is seeping through the concrete roof. We got out alive once, but we’re dreading that the house might cave in the next time,” she said.
Even as she stands outside the house, Radha has yet to enter her house, where she saw her son grow up and get married. Her house is filled with mud, slippery and unfit for a return. “I’m not even able to clean up; there’s no power and no water. How long can we stay at the house of a relative? One or two days is fine, but we don’t want to be burden on them more than we already are.”
Radha Chella and the mud remaining inside her house
The Chella family were proactive. Looking at the worsening conditions, the family had moved most of their valuables, electronics and important furniture elsewhere. However, not everybody had the same opportunity. Just a few metres away from the Chella household, an entire family’s furniture, clothes, and mattresses were out in the open. Inside, a musty smell of damp walls refuses to leave.
“We were just going about our day as usual, preparing for Ganesh Chaturthi. The water was beginning to pool, yet we got no communication from the officials as to what to do,” T Lalitha, a 60-year-old matriarch, explained. She, her children, and grandchildren live in the house along with her mother, also named Lalitha.
All the furniture and documents lost due to flooding at Lalitha’s home
“The water continued to grow, and we were beginning to panic the moment it entered our house. We saw all these snakes start to appear, and we took everyone upstairs to our terrace,” she told South First.
“We all had to bear the rain for about 10 to 12 hours,” her daughter-in-law Ramya adding, “we got up there in the morning, and the only respite was to climb through the windows of our neighbours,” she continued.
While most of them could climb through, Ramesh, Ramya’s husband, had to stay back on the terrace in the rain owing to Lalitha’s mother. “Our skin got wrinkled, and my grandmother was having a hard time,” he recounted, speaking to South First.
“We could spot officials moving about from a distance. However, they were unable to reach us because of the water levels. It was only in the night, at about 11, when the DRF officials came to our rescue in a JCB. Otherwise, my mother might’ve passed away that night,” Lalitha said.
While the family is happy to have survived, they are now faced with another predicament. Where Radha’s family was able to mitigate their losses, Lalitha’s family lost everything to the rain. Because of the suddenness of the incident and the fear for their lives, they did not have time to secure their valuables at the time.
(Left to right) T Ramesh, T Lalitha, and T Ramya
“At this point, we have nothing left but our lives,” Ramya exclaimed.
“We lost everything from our clothes to our certificates,” she continued. “We lost everything we ever built in Kamareddy for the last 30 years in a matter of hours,” Lalitha added.
“The entire family is sick now. So is that poor old lady,” Ramesh said, pointing towards the older Lalitha. This disaster could’ve been averted had the local MLA seen us as more than just votes for once.
“Look at my legs, they are swollen up, I’m unable to stand and am still suffering from a fever,” Lalitha told.
“Because of me, Ramesh also had to stay behind in that rain. I was afraid that my time had come that night,” she recounted as Ramesh tried to hold back his tears.
Lalitha’s mother, who had to endure the rain for about 12 hours
“We did nothing wrong, and the cause of this issue is that drain. Yet, put aside fixing the root, the government is yet to extend proper support to us. Even in these perilous conditions, we had to look out for ourselves. We didn’t get anything from the state or the MLA. These leaders come here, take pictures, shake hands, and leave. We have to continue living here, starting from scratch,” he said, his voice suppressing anger.
“Despite coming back, we are unable to stay here. We still have to go to a relative’s house to sleep. At the cost of repeating myself, let me say this again: this extent of damage could’ve been avoided,” he said.
During the last few days, it was local community leaders, shops, and NRI kith and kin who supported GR Colony. They sent in food, medicine, and blankets to the victims. On that very day, another local community leader had sent in sacks of rice and groceries to help the families recuperate.
Sacks of groceries being distributed in GR Colony
“The leaders will visit us for a day or two, the media for maybe five, and we might even receive this support for another week. However, we are not asking for your pity. We are asking for self-respect. Yet, I don’t believe anything will change. As much as I’d like to be proved wrong, even after all this, we might be in the same conditions next monsoon,” Lalitha lamented.
(Edited by Amit Vasudev)
