Hyderabad: Asif Jahi rulers Nawab Mir Mahboob Ali Khan and Nawab Mir Osman Ali Khan’s farsightedness has once again saved Hyderabad from facing the great Musi River flood like situation. Had not Nawab Mir Mahboob Ali Khan, learning a lesson from flood of 1908, approved the plan for Himayat Sagar and Osman Sagar no one would have saved Hyderabad from devastation.
According to meteorological department, the rains which lashed Hyderabad on Tuesday broke the 117-year-old record. Similar rain had occurred in 1993. 341 ml rain has been recorded during the incessant rains since Tuesday. It was more than the rain that caused flood in Hyderabad city in 1908. Had Osman Sagar and Himayat Sagar not built and planning to hold rain water was not done, the devastation caused by the recent rains would have been much more than that of 1908.
There are no complaints of water logging in areas today itself where the drainage line of Asif Jahi era is present.
After the flood in 1908, Nawab Mir Mahboob Ali Khan who is fondly remembered as Mahboob Ali Pasha by the residents of the city, visited Musi River to take stock of situation and destruction caused by the flood. Following which he announced to built Himayat Sagar and Osman Sagar so that the city of Hyderabad would not face such situation again. Due to the farsightedness of the rulers of Asif Jahi Sultanate Hyderabad remained safe from devastation. It must be noted that Asif Jah VI Nawab Mir Mahboob Ali Khan had approved the plan to build both the reservoirs but due to his death in 1911, the projects were completed in the period of Asif Jah VII Mir Osman Ali Khan and now the Hyderabadis are enjoying their fruits.
Osman Sagar reservoir has a capacity of 3.9 tmc while Himayat Sagar has the storage capacity of 2.9 tmc, without them Hyderabad would have witnessed another flood like that of 1908.
Several areas are inundated due to the recent rains which is the result of short-term planning of post-annexation rulers. Proper arrangement were not made for draining rain water during the developments made by the democratic rulers.
