In the flood-hit Rajanna Sircilla district of Telangana, the heart-wrenching anguish of a mother became a powerful symbol of the flood’s human toll. For 30 gruelling hours, Lakshmi waited for her son, Jangam Swamy, who was trapped in the swirling floodwaters. “I fall at your feet. Please save my son. It’s been 30 hours,” she pleaded.
Five people had got stranded at Upper Manair and repeated attempts by rescue helicopters were thwarted by adverse weather.
“What use are elections and leaders if they can’t come to the rescue of my son? You dare not try to silence me. I want you to try again and save my son,” Lakshmi cried, her anguish turning into anger with the endless wait.
Hope, though, prevailed.
Anguish of mother Lakshmi waiting for her son trapped in #floodwaters #Telangana #Sircilla: “Please save my son. It’s been 30 hours” Repeated chopper attempts failed due to adverse weather; Finally JangamSwamy returned to tears of welcome, thanked rescuers for giving him 2nd life pic.twitter.com/5EdkSuzpdm
— Uma Sudhir (@umasudhir) August 28, 2025
In a dramatic rescue operation by IAF chopper, Jangam Swamy was brought to safety –, his return met with loud wails, the fears of the mother, son and rest of the family exploding into a flood of tears and an outpouring of welcome from his family.
A grateful Jangam Swamy, alive and well, thanked his rescuers for “giving him a second life”.
In Medak, another badly hit district, it was a different kind of race against time. A pregnant woman in labour was in desperate need of medical help. In a precarious and careful operation, the “Knights in Fluorescent Orange”, as the rescue teams are being hailed on social media, moved her to the safety of a hospital just in time.
The timely arrival of the NDRF team ensured that both mother and baby were given a chance at a healthy life, underscoring the vital role of these rescue forces in moments of critical need.
In Kamareddy district, which, along with Medak received the highest rain in 50 years over the last two days, it was a daring rescue operation by the police who emerged as #RealHeroes.
With not a hint of hesitation, risking their lives, the police crossed the furiously flowing, chest-deep waters, using just a single rope, to rescue 10 people marooned in flood.
Among them were children whom they carried on their shoulders, earning for themselves the sobriquet of the police being everyone’ heroes.
The spirit of survival was also evident in Nirmal district, where an NDRF team successfully rescued Shankar Naik, who had been trapped by rising floodwaters.
Using a specialised boat, rescuers brought Shankar to safety, a moment of relief in a town where heavy rains have already forced the relocation of 250 families. The main route connecting Nirmal to Maharashtra remains closed, a stark reminder of the widespread disruption.
However, not all stories had a happy ending. In a tragic turn, two men, Bestha Sathyam and Yada Goud, were swept away while attempting to cross the Rajpet bridge. Both are currently missing.
Former irrigation minister Harish Rao brought a heart-wrenching detail to light, saying the men were in an auto-rickshaw, on way to a flooded Gurukul school to pick up their children.
Yada Goud and Bestha Sathyam were both washed away. He claimed that for “at least four hours, they were holding on to an electric pole, hoping for a rescue but no helicopter was sent”.
He also criticized the government, saying, “A minister said yesterday chopper would be used only in utmost emergency whereas they use it to go to marriages and political rallies”.
Telangana’s Kamareddy and Medak districts are grappling with the aftermath of an unprecedented downpour that has crippled the region over the past 24 hours. According to reports, the rainfall is the heaviest in a 50-year period for such a short duration.
