Musi river was the cause of frequent flood devastation of Hyderabad city till early 20th Century. It had begun to swell dangerously on September 27, and the first flood warning came at 2 AM when the water flowed over Puranapul bridge and by 6 AM there was a cloudburst, the flood breached, on Tuesday, the 28 September 1908, the river rose 60 feet, flowing through the city.[3] In 36 hours, 17 inches of rainfall was recorded and the water level at Afzalgunj was about 11 feet (3.4 m) high and in other places, even higher.
Musi River was the cause of frequent flood devastation of Hyderabad city till the early decades of 20th Century. History Records that flood occurred eleven times in Hyderabad since 1572AD. The city had experienced 15.32 cms of rainfall on September 28, 1908. The Musi River rose to 15 to 20 feet height in the inhabited area. These floods shattered the life of the people living in Hyderabad.
It was on this day in 1908 that the Musi River, which was reduced to an open sewer, overflowed following heavy rains in and around the city. Such was the river's fury that many buildings, including two hospitals on its banks and hundreds of houses, were submerged. Over 150 people had climbed a tamarind tree at the Osmania General Hospital to save themselves. The river, which bisects the city, had turned a monster overnight. 'Though there were 18 floods recorded before Sep 28, 1908, this was the mother of all floods.
According to historians, 15,000 people were killed and over 80,000 were rendered homeless in the Musi floods. As many as 600,000 people were affected by the river's fury. The deluge washed away part of a bridge built on the river and caused widespread devastation. Such was the enormity of the devastation that the sixth Nizam Mir Mahboob Ali Khan, then ruler of Hyderabad State, threw open the gates of his palaces to shelter the victims. The kitchens in the palaces worked overtime to feed about 600,000 people for 15 days. The water level in localities butting the river was 15 to 20 feet. A maternity hospital, the Darulshifa hospital and several other buildings on the banks of the river were obliterated. Over 400 people were killed in the maternity hospital alone.
The Flooding of the City where 15,000 people perished. Over 80,000 houses were damaged.
The worst hit area was Kolsawadi and Ghansi Bazar in Afzal Gunj. The flood razed over 80,000 houses, making a fourth of the population homeless. It completely destroyed the Nizam Hospital, burying the patients. It washed away three brides Afzal bridge, Mussallam Jung and Chaderghat all built in 1860s.
The Great Tamarind[edit]
A 200-year old tamarind tree at the time, located inside Osmania Hospital saved over 150 people who climbed it,[4] including popular Urdu poet, Amjad Hyderabadi, 22, saw his entire family, including his mother, wife and daughter get washed away in the flood and he was the only survivor in his family. Most of his Ruba'i, Qayamat-e-Soghra reflects his depression at the loss of his family.[5] A couplet muses:
“
Itni Dar'ya May Bhi Na Duba Amjad
Dub'nay Valo Ko Bus Ek Chul'lu Kafi Hai
Musi River was the cause of frequent flood devastation of Hyderabad city till the early decades of 20th Century. History Records that flood occurred eleven times in Hyderabad since 1572AD. The city had experienced 15.32 cms of rainfall on September 28, 1908. The Musi River rose to 15 to 20 feet height in the inhabited area. These floods shattered the life of the people living in Hyderabad.
It was on this day in 1908 that the Musi River, which was reduced to an open sewer, overflowed following heavy rains in and around the city. Such was the river's fury that many buildings, including two hospitals on its banks and hundreds of houses, were submerged. Over 150 people had climbed a tamarind tree at the Osmania General Hospital to save themselves. The river, which bisects the city, had turned a monster overnight. 'Though there were 18 floods recorded before Sep 28, 1908, this was the mother of all floods.
According to historians, 15,000 people were killed and over 80,000 were rendered homeless in the Musi floods. As many as 600,000 people were affected by the river's fury. The deluge washed away part of a bridge built on the river and caused widespread devastation. Such was the enormity of the devastation that the sixth Nizam Mir Mahboob Ali Khan, then ruler of Hyderabad State, threw open the gates of his palaces to shelter the victims. The kitchens in the palaces worked overtime to feed about 600,000 people for 15 days. The water level in localities butting the river was 15 to 20 feet. A maternity hospital, the Darulshifa hospital and several other buildings on the banks of the river were obliterated. Over 400 people were killed in the maternity hospital alone.
The Flooding of the City where 15,000 people perished. Over 80,000 houses were damaged.
The worst hit area was Kolsawadi and Ghansi Bazar in Afzal Gunj. The flood razed over 80,000 houses, making a fourth of the population homeless. It completely destroyed the Nizam Hospital, burying the patients. It washed away three brides Afzal bridge, Mussallam Jung and Chaderghat all built in 1860s.
The Great Tamarind[edit]
A 200-year old tamarind tree at the time, located inside Osmania Hospital saved over 150 people who climbed it,[4] including popular Urdu poet, Amjad Hyderabadi, 22, saw his entire family, including his mother, wife and daughter get washed away in the flood and he was the only survivor in his family. Most of his Ruba'i, Qayamat-e-Soghra reflects his depression at the loss of his family.[5] A couplet muses:
“
Itni Dar'ya May Bhi Na Duba Amjad
Dub'nay Valo Ko Bus Ek Chul'lu Kafi Hai
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