People have been asked to stay indoors and avoid travel. These floods are among the worst in Telangana in recent years.
Published Aug 28, 2025 | 12:04 PM ⚊ Updated Aug 28, 2025 | 12:56 PM
Heavy floods have inundated the GNR Colony in Nirmal, submerging hundreds of homes.
Synopsis: Relentless rains have caused massive floods in Telangana. The worst-affected districts are Adilabad, Medak, and Kamareddy. Rivers, streams, lakes, and ponds have overflowed. The Telangana government is trying to reach out to the victims. The SDRF is continuing extensive flood rescue operations across Telangana.
Relentless rains since Tuesday night have caused massive floods in Telangana. As of Thursday, 28 August, the worst-affected districts are Adilabad, Medak, and Kamareddy. Rivers, streams, lakes, and ponds have overflowed. This has flooded low-lying areas, trapping people in colonies and disrupting daily life.
The Godavari River’s tributaries, such as the Manjira, Kadam, and Swarna, have swollen beyond capacity, worsening the flooding in north Telangana. Since Tuesday night, heavy downpour has led to flash floods, blocked roads, stopped trains, ruined crops, and caused suffering. Over 1,000 people have been rescued, but more rain is expected.
Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy is scheduled to visit Medak district to assess the damage while the ministers and officials are on alert, reviewing the situation closely.
The chief minister held a review at his residence with deputy chief minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, and ministers D Sridhar Babu and D Anasuya Sitakka. He asked them to keep a close watch on the officials entrusted with the relief duty and ensure that timely help reached the affected people.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned of very heavy rainfall. However, it has already wreaked havoc. Aragonda in Kamareddy district received a cumulative rainfall of 536.9 mm in the last two days. Kamareddy town itself saw 266 mm of rain.
The Swarna River, a Godavari tributary, overflowed, flooding fields and homes in the district. Medak’s Shadnagar area got 316 mm of rain. The Manjira River, another tributary, invaded low-lying areas in the Medak district after breaching its banks. In Adilabad, Nirmal’s Akkapur recorded 325 mm of rain. The Kadam River, flowing through Adilabad, swelled and added to the chaos.
In Kamareddy, flash floods caused major damage. Neighbourhoods were flooded, and villages were cut off. In Peddashankarampet and Ramayampet mandals, water entered homes. People climbed onto rooftops or moved to higher ground to stay safe.
In Nagireddipet, Ellareddy constituency, a boys’ hostel was flooded. Students were trapped inside. Local people waded through chest-deep water to carry the boys to safety. On National Highway-44, vehicles were stuck for several kilometres. The highway near Kamareddy was badly damaged.
Only 25 percent of the road was usable. Authorities asked drivers to take alternate routes, including Medchal-Ramayampet-Kamareddy-Dichpalli.
Floods damaged railway tracks in North Telangana. Train services stopped, leaving passengers stranded. Entire colonies in Kamareddy were cut off. People could not get food or clean water.
Some families were stuck in their homes for over 24 hours without electricity. Homes were filled with mud and debris. Furniture was ruined, and small shops closed. Paddy and cotton crops in the district are under water. The Swarna River’s overflow has destroyed vast stretches of farmland in Nirmal district.
Medak district faced similar problems. Heavy rains flooded homes and villages. The Manjira River’s overflow made things worse, especially in the Sangareddy and Siddipet areas. Medak town was hit hard. Water entered the colonies, trapping people inside.
A family of five in a low-lying area was stuck all night. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) rescued them. A member of the family said, “Water came up to our waists inside the house. We couldn’t leave.”
Schools and colleges in Medak were flooded. Authorities closed them on Thursday to keep students safe. This has stopped classes for thousands of children.
Farmers in Medak grow maize and vegetables. Their fields are now underwater. Losses could run into crores of rupees. Some homes and roads have collapsed. Villages are cut off. A few people are missing, but no deaths have been confirmed. Rescue teams saved 504 people from Medak and Kamareddy. They are still working to help others.
Adilabad, especially Nirmal, has also suffered. Earlier in August, rains flooded areas like Brindavan in Mancherial and Adilabad town. The latest rains made things worse. Nirmal received 325 mm of rain, causing flash floods. The Kadam River overflowed, flooding low-lying areas.
In one Nirmal colony, people were trapped for hours. Boats were used to rescue them. A villager from Akkapur said, “The water came at night. We lost clothes, food, and even our animals.” Roads and bridges were washed away. Sugarcane and soybean fields are ruined. Tribal communities in Adilabad depend on these crops, and their livelihoods are at risk now.
Some people were trapped in vehicles on flooded roads. They were rescued, but some remote areas lost contact due to communication lines.
Officials have released water through 18 gates of the Sri Rajarajeshwara Reservoir in the RajannaSircilla District. Citizens living in nearby and downstream areas have been advised to stay alert and exercise caution.
Additionally, the Dindi Project in Nalgonda is also witnessing heavy flood inflows, with water filling up the reservoir. Officials are on high alert. Meanwhile, Medak’s Pocharam project has withstood an inflow of 1,82,000 cusecs of flood waters, exceeding its Maximum Flood Discharge of 70,000 cusecs.
Details of the rescue operation.
The Telangana government is trying to reach out to the victims. The chief minister put the state on high alert. District collectors are monitoring the situation closely. NDRF teams, police, and fire services rescued 1,071 people from Kamareddy, Medak, and Khammam.
Drones delivered food to 1,000 people in areas where rescue teams couldn’t reach. Shelters are open for those who lost their homes. Health alerts were issued to stop diseases from spreading. Train services are still stopped. Highways are being repaired.
The weather forecast said rain may decrease in Kamareddy. However, it added that Nirmal, Nizamabad, and nearby areas could see more heavy rain. The Godavari tributaries, especially the Manjira, Kadam, and Swarna, remain ferocious.
People have been asked to stay indoors and avoid travel. These floods are among the worst in Telangana in recent years.
As the water levels recede, the government is planning steps to rebuild the fragile infrastructure that broke down. However, wounds caused by the damage to homes, crops, and lives will take a long time to heal.
The State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) is continuing extensive flood rescue operations across Telangana, with 11 teams deployed in the worst-affected districts. Kamareddy saw the largest mobilisation, with six teams rescuing stranded villagers, fire service personnel, and assisting with road clearance duties.
One unit saved 50 people at Housing Board Colony, while others aided in Gambhiraopet and supported the NDRF in Rajpet. In Medak, SDRF teams worked through the night, shifting villagers from Sardana to safer locations. Operations also extended to Nirmal, where personnel divided into smaller teams to handle rescues and road clearance at key junctions, and to Dubbaka in Siddipet district.
Several teams reported working without boats, highlighting the challenges faced on the ground. Additional platoons were placed on standby at Dichpally, Nizamabad, to strengthen the response. Rescue efforts remain ongoing, with priority on evacuations, safety, and restoring connectivity in flood-hit regions.
(Edited by Muhammed Fazil with inputs from Saicharan Sana.)
