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WARANGAL: Heavy rains caused by Cyclone Montha have severely disrupted rail and road traffic across Mahbubabad district, halting several trains and leaving hundreds of passengers stranded at Dornakal and Gundratimadugu railway stations on Wednesday. The relentless downpour led to widespread flooding, submerging railway tracks at Dornakal, Mahabubabad, Garla, and Gundratimadugu stations. With services delayed or cancelled, stranded passengers faced immense hardship due to a lack of basic amenities such as drinking water and refreshments. At Dornakal station, floodwaters completely submerged the tracks and platforms, forcing the suspension of several long-distance trains, including the Golconda Express, Konark Express, and Krishna Express, with some halted for over five hours. Acting on the orders of police superintendent Sudheer Ramnath Kekan, police teams, led by Mahbubabad Rural CI Sarvaiah and his staff at Gundratimadugu station, and CI Chandramouli and his team at Dornakal, provided stranded passengers with bananas, biscuits, water bottles, and other relief materials. In a swift emergency response, district collector Adwait Kumar Singh and SP Sudheer Ramnath Kekan visited Dornakal station to review the situation. They instructed officials from the railway, irrigation, revenue, and police departments to drain the water and divert the flood flow into the Buddaram pond. Road transport was also hit, with fallen trees blocking major routes. On the Nellikudur-Mahbubabad road, a large tree obstructed traffic, critically delaying two ambulances, one carrying a patient with breathing difficulties and another transporting a pregnant woman. The 108-ambulance staff, Mallesh Yadav, Veeranna, and Raju, quickly used an axe to cut and clear the branches, saving crucial time to get the patients to hospital. Following the situation, collector Adwait Kumar Singh held a teleconference with officials of various departments, urging them to stay alert and advising people to avoid unnecessary travel. He ordered all officials to remain at their headquarters and take preventive measures to safeguard lives, livestock, and property. Farmers were advised to protect their crops and stored paddy, and citizens were warned to stay away from fast-flowing waterfalls, lakes, and canals. Low-level bridges and dams are being secured. The collector also confirmed that a control room (No. 79950774803) is active at the Collectorate to respond promptly to flood-related complaints. Medical staff have been directed to stock adequate medicines to prevent the spread of seasonal fevers. Schools across the district have been declared closed due to the heavy rains.
