View source for Great Musi Flood of 1908

{{Use Indian English|date=April 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2019}}
{{Infobox flood
| name = Great Musi Flood of 1908
| date = 28 September 1908 - 29 September 1908
| total damages = £1,250,000
| total fatalities = over 15,000
| areas affected = [[Hyderabad]], [[Hyderabad State]], [[British India]] (now in [[Telangana]], India)
| image = Refugees walk across a bridge with the Afzal Darwaza in the background, during the Great Musi Flood of 1908, Hyderabad.jpg
| caption = Refugees walk across a bridge with the Afzal Darwaza in the background, during the Great Musi Flood of 1908
}}
[[File:The_arched_gateway_of_the_then_British_Residency,_partially_in_water_during_the_Great_Musi_Flood_of_1908.jpg|thumb|The arched gateway of the then [[British Residency, Hyderabad|British Residency]], partially in water during the Great Musi Flood of 1908]]
The '''Great Musi Flood''' was a devastating flood that occurred on 28 September 1908 in [[Hyderabad]] on the banks of [[Musi River (India)|Musi river]].{{sfn|Law|1914|pp=85-92}} The city of Hyderabad was the capital of the [[Hyderabad State]], ruled by the [[Nizam]], [[Mir Mahbub Ali Khan]].<ref>{{cite EB1911 |wstitle=Hyderabad (city) |volume= 14 }}</ref>

The flood, locally known as ''Thughyani Sitambar'', shattered the life of the people living in Hyderabad, killing 50,000 people <ref>{{cite web|url=https://cdnc.ucr.edu/cgi-bin/cdnc?a=d&d=LAH19081003.2.42&srpos=24&e=-------en--20--21--txt-txIN-hyderabad------|title=Los Angeles Herald 3 October 1908 — California Digital Newspaper Collection|website=Cdnc.ucr.edu|access-date=2 January 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.old-print.com/mas_assets/full3/P2331908/P2331908604T.jpg |title=Archived copy |access-date=10 May 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150518071457/http://www.old-print.com/mas_assets/full3/P2331908/P2331908604T.jpg |archive-date=18 May 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref> It washed away three bridges&nbsp;— the Afzal, Mussallam Jung and [[Chaderghat]]&nbsp;— the [[Puranapul]] became the only link between two parts of the city.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Hyderabad/musing-over-the-musi/article4902673.ece|title=Musing over the Musi|first=J. S.|last=Ifthekhar|date=11 July 2013|access-date=2 January 2019|website=Thehindu.com}}</ref>

==Flooding of Hyderabad==
[[File:Musi River Scene 1895.jpg|thumb|Musi river scene in 1895]]
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.<ref name=the-hindu1>{{cite news|last=Ifthekhar|first=J. S.|title=Remembering the deluge of 1908 |url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Hyderabad/remembering-the-deluge-of-1908/article3944923.ece|date=28 September 2012|access-date=30 September 2012|newspaper=The Hindu}}</ref> In 36 hours, 17 inches of rainfall was recorded, and the water level at [[Afzalgunj]] was about {{convert|11|ft|m}} high and in other places even higher.

==Damage==
[[File:Tamrained tree neat OGH.JPG|thumb|The tamarind tree.<ref>https://telanganatoday.com/this-tamarind-tree-at-osmania-general-hospital-still-stands-tall</ref>]]
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.{{sfn|Lynton, 1974|pp=18}} 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.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Hyderabad/remembering-the-deluge-of-1908/article3944923.ece|title=Remembering the deluge of 1908|first=J. S.|last=Ifthekhar|date=28 September 2012|access-date=2 January 2019|website=Thehindu.com}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://archive.siasat.com/news/hyderabad-observe-104th-anniversary-musi-flood-349446/|title=Hyderabad to observe 104th anniversary of Musi flood|date=20 September 2012|website=The Siasat Daily|access-date=2 January 2019}}</ref> A couplet muses:

{{Cquote|
Itni Dar'ya May Bhi Na Duba Amjad

Dub'nay Valo Ko Bus Ek Chul'lu Kafi Hai }}
===Relief Efforts===
A relief fund of 500,000 Rupees was borne by the state, and 1,000,000 more raised by public subscription, with the Nizam and [[Kishen Pershad]] making the largest donations.{{sfn|Lynton, 1974|pp=18}} The government declared an official holiday of ten days for people to deal with their own crises. Ten kitchens were set up in various parts of the city, which were in operation from 29 September to 13 October.

==Aftermath==
The historic deluge resulted in the development of the twin cities in 1908. This necessitated planned, phased development.<ref name=Murali>{{cite news|last=Murali|first=D|title=Floods proved a blessing in disguise|url=http://www.hindu.com/pp/2006/04/22/stories/2006042200130300.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060514124147/http://www.hindu.com/pp/2006/04/22/stories/2006042200130300.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=14 May 2006|access-date=17 July 2012 |date=2006-04-22|newspaper=[[The Hindu]]}}</ref><ref name=TOI>{{cite news|last=Shahid|first=Sajjad|title=Sitamber: the harbinger of torment|url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-09-30/hyderabad/34177011_1_musi-bus-terminus-ends-today|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130809131747/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-09-30/hyderabad/34177011_1_musi-bus-terminus-ends-today|url-status=dead|archive-date=9 August 2013|date=30 September 2012|access-date=30 September 2012|newspaper=[[The Times of India]]}}</ref>

===Committee recommendations===
[[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.

===Sir Visvesvaraya’s services===
The Nizam invited [[M. Visvesvaraya]] to advise and assist in the reconstruction of the city and to devise measures for the prevention of the recurrence of such a terrible catastrophe. He was assisted by engineers from the Public Works Department of Hyderabad State, and after much investigation and deliberation, they concluded that the immunity of Hyderabad city from flood must come from the construction of flood catchment areas in the basin above the city.{{Sfn|Law|1914|p=85}} They proposed to construct these reservoirs a few miles north of the capital.

A dam was built under noted engineer Nawab [[Ali Nawaz Jung Bahadur]] in 1920 across the river, {{convert|10|mi|km|spell=in}} upstream from the city, called [[Osman Sagar]]. In 1927, another reservoir was built on Esi (tributary of Musi) and named [[Himayat Sagar]]. These lakes prevent the flooding of the River Musi and are major drinking water sources for Hyderabad city.<ref name=TOI/>

==References==
===Citations===
{{Reflist}}
===Bibliography===
*{{cite book |title=Modern Hyderabad (Deccan)|last=Law |first=John |publisher= Thacker, Spink, and Co. |url=https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Modern_Hyderabad_(Deccan) |year=1914 }}
*{{cite book |title=The Days of the Beloved |last1=Lynton |first1=Harriet Ronken |last2=Rajan |first2=Mohini |year=1974 |publisher=[[University of California Press]] |isbn=978-0-520-02442-7 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DhYjiciXlwwC|ref={{sfnref|Lynton, 1974}}}} 
==External links==
* [http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Hyderabad/remembering-the-deluge-of-1908/article3944923.ece Remembering the deluge of 1908]

[[Category:Hyderabad State]]
[[Category:Floods in India]]
[[Category:1908 in India]]
[[Category:1908 floods]]
[[Category:History of Telangana]]
[[Category:History of Hyderabad, India]]
{{Hyderabad}}