Heavy overnight rainfall in Hyderabad resulted in severe waterlogging and traffic chaos in important areas of Begumpet and Punjagutta on Wednesday morning, letting the movement of vehicles be disrupted and trapping hundreds of daily commuters.

The major parts of Begumpet Road and Panjagutta flyover crossings were under water and the drivers had no option but to go through the flooded roads, which were knee-deep. Two-wheeler riders were the most affected, and many of them were either losing their balance or pushing their stalled bikes through the waterlogged roads.

Not only the main roads but also service lanes and inner by-lanes were flooded, and pedestrians had a hard time walking on the slippery and uneven surfaces. Commuters who were in the area during the peak hours reported long delays and bottlenecks.

Some residents attributed the issue to the inadequate drainage system and said that the same complaint was repeated every monsoon. “We live in this mess every time the rains come. The drains are clogged and the roads turned into rivers,” a shopkeeper near the Panjagutta Circle said.

To mitigate the situation, municipal workers have started to clear drainage lines and to guide away traffic in the impacted places, but the IMD also predicts two more days of rain, which has forced the authorities to keep alert.