Hyderabad Civil Society Demands Urgent Relief for Flood-Hit Families

Hyderabad, September 28, 2025 – Civil society groups and community representatives have appealed to the district administration for urgent relief, rehabilitation, and compensation for families affected by severe flooding in Chaderghat and surrounding areas. The floods struck on Friday night, 26 September, following the sudden and unannounced release of waters from the Himayat Sagar reservoir.

In a memorandum addressed to Hyderabad District Collector Ms. Harichandana Dasari, IAS, and copied to senior state and civic officials, the signatories expressed “deep concern and distress” over the incident. They alleged that despite assurances given at a meeting on 30 August with GHMC officials—following the death of Mr. Salim, who was swept away in the Musi—no timely alerts were issued to residents this time.

Although media reports indicated that 12 gates of Osman Sagar and nine gates of Himayat Sagar had been opened and that HMWSSB had issued flood warnings, the appeal stated that these alerts never meaningfully reached the most vulnerable communities. As a result, residents of Shankar Nagar, Kamal Nagar, Moosa Nagar, and Vinayak Veedi had little or no time to evacuate or safeguard their belongings. Floodwaters reportedly rose to 9–10 feet in low-lying areas, submerging homes and causing “massive damage” to household goods and livelihoods.

The signatories said many working-class families lost essential belongings including cooking vessels, clothes, refrigerators, televisions, and furniture—assets painstakingly acquired over years. While acknowledging the administration’s initial relief efforts, they called for urgent escalation of support.

Their demands included:

Additional temporary shelters for around 200 displaced families.
Timely provision of food, clean water, clothes, sanitation, and medical care.
Special arrangements for women and children in coordination with the Women and Child Welfare Department.
Immediate health camps and vector control drives to prevent disease outbreaks.
A comprehensive damage assessment survey followed by adequate compensation for household and structural losses.

The appeal also emphasised the need for institutional accountability. It urged the HMWSSB to take responsibility for advance alerts and called for the revival of earlier practices such as public announcements through mosques, temples, and loudspeaker systems in flood-prone areas. It proposed creating a community-based early warning system involving GHMC, the Disaster Management Authority, the Water Board, and local leaders.

“The repeated occurrence of such incidents, without timely alerts, has deeply shaken community confidence and caused avoidable hardship,” the memorandum stated.

The appeal was signed by 21 activists and organisations, including the National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM), Human Rights Forum, Hyderabad Slum Federation, Child Rights activists, and women’s groups.

Hyderabad Civil Society Demands Urgent Relief for Flood-Hit Families

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