HYDRAA targets 940 drain points in Hyderabad ahead of monsoon to prevent urban flooding

Hyderabad: With the onset of the dry season, the Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA) has intensified efforts to clear garbage and silt from the city’s drains and culverts. Across several areas, manholes and culverts are being unearthed to find large volumes of plastic waste, sand, and other debris blocking the natural flow of rainwater.

In many locations, drains have become untraceable due to the extent of accumulated waste. Manholes, when opened, are revealing heaps of sand. With such obstructions, rainwater has no outlet, increasing the risk of flooding once the monsoon arrives.

To address this, 150 HYDRAA Monsoon Emergency Teams (MET) and 51 HYDRAA Disaster Response Force (DRF) teams have been deployed to conduct large-scale desilting operations. The teams are not limiting their work to specific zones, instead moving across GHMC limits to focus on critical drainage points.

In Yousufguda, Madhura Nagar, and Krishna Nagar, flood canals clogged with trash have been cleared. Similar efforts have been made in Janardhan Reddy Nagar, Gachibowli, where blocked drains have been cleaned. In Kapra Circle’s Ward No. 2, garbage from the catchpit area of the Markandeya Colony drain was removed.

In LB Nagar Circle, near RCI Road and Mithilanagar, the drain that connects Mantrala Cheruvu and Jillelaguda Cheruvu was desilted using JCBs.

HYDRAA is targeting 940 culvert points within GHMC limits. Teams are clearing plastic, garbage, and silt from manholes and catchpits to restore unobstructed water flow. The agency is also working with GHMC and Strategic Nala Development Project engineers to remove encroachments from drains. Officials say the ongoing desilting and garbage removal work is expected to reduce water stagnation and urban flooding during the monsoon.