Great Musi Flood of 1908
| Date | 36 hours |
|---|---|
| Location | City of Hyderabad |
| Deaths | 50,000 |
The Great Musi Flood was a devastating flood that occurred on 28 September 1908 in the Hyderabad state capital on the banks of Musi river. The flood, locally known as Thughyani Sitambar, shattered the life of the people living in Hyderabad, killing 50,000 people. It washed away three bridges — the Afzal, Mussallam Jung and Chaderghat — the Puranapul became the only link between two parts of the city.
The Musi river was the cause of frequent flood devastation of Hyderabad city till early 20th century. It had begun to swell dangerously on 27 September. The first flood warning came at 2 AM when the water flowed over Puranapul bridge. By 6 AM there was a cloudburst. The flood breached on Tuesday, 28 September 1908: The river rose 60 feet, flowing through the city. 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.
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 the Afzal, Mussallam Jung and Chaderghat bridges, all built in the 1860s.
A 200-year-old tamarind tree inside Osmania Hospital saved over 150 people who climbed it. Popular Urdu poet Amjad Hyderabadi, 22, saw his entire family, including his mother, wife and daughter washed away in the flood; he was the only survivor in his family. Most of his Ruba'i, Qayamat-e-Soghra reflects his depression at the loss. A couplet muses:
Itni Dar'ya May Bhi Na Duba Amjad
Dub'nay Valo Ko Bus Ek Chul'lu Kafi Hai
The historic deluge resulted in the development of the twin cities in 1908. This necessitated planned, phased development.
Syed Azam Hussaini submitted his report on 1 October 1909, with recommendations on preventing a recurrence of floods and improving civic amenities. The Seventh Nizam, Mir Osman Ali Khan, constituted a City Improve Trust in 1912. He built a flood control system on the river.
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