Hyderabad remembers tragic Musi River flood of 1908

Hyderabad: Today marks the 116th anniversary of one of the most devastating natural disasters in Hyderabad’s history, the Musi River flood of September 28, 1908. The catastrophic event saw 17 inches of rainfall in just one day, leading to the loss of around 15,000 lives, the collapse of 19,000 houses, and leaving 80,000 people homeless.

An old tweet by heritage explorer Asif Ali Khan has gone viral, shedding light on a tragic event. Khan’s post reads, “Today, 28th September, marks the 116th anniversary of the Musi River floods in 1908, in which 15,000 people died, 19,000 houses collapsed, and 80,000 people were left homeless in Hyderabad. I am resharing my old thread about the flood.”

In his tweet, Asif Ali Khan shared a 1914 map that details the river Musi, its bridges, and surrounding water bodies. He explained that the river traversed the walled city of Hyderabad, and a midnight cloudburst on September 27-28 led to a cyclonic flood of unprecedented intensity. By 2 a.m., floodwaters had reached the height of Purana Pul, one of the four bridges spanning the river. https://x.com/asifalikhan_1/status/1839887644819398744?s=08

Asif Ali Khan noted that the rainfall recorded at Shamshabad, a principal rain gauge station, was a staggering 12.80 inches (32.5 cm) in the first 24 hours and 18.90 inches (48 cm) over 48 hours. The lower elevation of the northern bank of the river exacerbated the flooding, severely damaging the Afzal Gunj bridge. However, the over 400-year-old Purana Pul bridge, constructed by the Qutub Shahi rulers, withstood the floodwaters without damage.

The Mussallam Jung bridge was thoroughly washed away, and the damage to the structure was significant. Heritage Explorer elaborated that the Musi River basin covers 860 square miles, with 788 water-holding tanks. Of these, 221 tanks were breached, 182 from the Esi River catchment and 39 from the Musi River catchment.

The aftermath was a catastrophic disaster, 19,000 houses were destroyed, 15,000 lives were lost, and 80,000 people found themselves homeless. Asif Khan shared images showcasing the destruction, including the damage near Maharaj Chandulal Temple and the submerged Empress Gate at the British Residency.

He further said, “History also revealed that the 6th Nizam, Mir Mahbub Ali Khan Bahadur, was deeply affected by the calamity. Overcome with grief, he opened his palaces to shelter the homeless, an expression of his compassion in the face of such tragedy. As Khan eloquently stated, ‘Never forget Musi’s wrath.’

The devastating floods of 1908 prompted a new era of development in Hyderabad, leading to planned, phased urban development to mitigate the risk of future disasters.

The Musi River, a major tributary of the Krishna River, flows through Telangana and serves as a significant water source for the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad. It originates in the Ananthagiri Hills and eventually flows into the Krishna River near Miryalaguda in the Nalgonda district.