Synopsis: A two-day downpour in Hyderabad left roads waterlogged and traffic snarled, but also sparked a wave of online humour. One flyover in Gachibowli, submerged on July 18, became the butt of viral jokes, with netizens dubbing it a “sky-level swimming pool” and poking fun at the city’s soggy infrastructure
Hyderabad’s two-day downpour left more than just puddles-it unleashed a flood of memes. Despite the municipal machinery scrambling to drain clogged roads and clear snarled traffic, the city continued to wade through waterlogging woes. One particular spot made the biggest splash online: a flyover in Gachibowli that turned into what netizens cheekily dubbed a “sky-level swimming pool” after getting completely inundated on July 18.
The irony of an elevated road sinking under water wasn’t lost on social media, with jokes pouring in faster than the rain itself. Some wondered whether the flyover was testing a new rainwater harvesting model, while others suggested blocking traffic and turning it into a monsoon-time pool party
“A flyover in Hyderabad has turned into a swimming pool itself. How on earth does an elevated road flood? Anyway, while we’re at it, why not just block traffic on this engineering marvel and let kids use it for swimming until the monsoon ends?” one viral post proposed.
“Watched a video of a flooded flyover in Hyderabad, what a engineering marvel must say. Maybe they are testing out a new water harvesting system for the city. Gravity-fed water supply will be a masterstroke,” another user quipped, perhaps taking a dig at the many “masterstrokes” the union government credits itself for.
Bengalureans and Andhrites have a field day
In the ever-growing cross-city discourse between Bengaluru and Hyderabad, the topic of traffic and roads comes to the fore. Time and again, those on the team often point to Hyderabad’s wider roads as an advantage. Poking fun at the instances when Bengaluru gets ,the call “come to Hyderabad” started circling the net. However, netizens seem to believe that Hyderabad is bridging the gap with these floods.
“Hyderabad roads are wider so that they can store more water,” one user quipped, while another stated, “Hyderabad will be Bengaluru in the next five years.
Meanwhile, another user took the opportunity to take pride in Bengaluru, stating that those who want Hyderabad to be the next Bengaluru must “keep dreaming.” This take comes despite the heavy floods the city saw in May this year.
Meanwhile, those from Andhra Pradesh had a different reaction. More often than not, the internet bears witness to a local phenomenon, despite uniting in the face of Tollywood and language chauvinism, people from Andhra and Telangana never miss an opportunity to poke fun at the other.
One point which Andhra often scores is that it is home to numerous beaches, while Telangana is landlocked. However, that edge seems to have eroded for one user. “Finally, Hyderabad has also gotten a beach, now we Andhra folks can’t do anything,” the user joked.
While one user called it a beach, a few others seemingly took a jab at the ongoing riparian rift between the Telugu state. “The government is linking rivers!” one user exclaimed, while another asked if “Godavari water diverted?”
However, amidst all the jokes, there seemed to be one user who sympathised with Hyderabad’s plight. “Just 1-2 hours of rain in Hyderabad, and even the flyovers are waterlogged. If this had happened in Bengaluru, the news would’ve made it all the way to Sudan and Somalia. Bad luck Hyderabad-flooded flyovers, but still no fame for it!” they said, seemingly upset that Hyderabad’ chance at fame had capsized.
Drainage issues highlighted
While the jokes waded through the internet swimmingly, a few other users took the opportunity to highlight a real issue. “I go through this bridge and I know at least one reason. People travelling in Cars and Autos simply dumps the plastic covers of chips and biscuits while riding. They slowly accumulate and clog the drain holes. There is nothing majorly wrong with construction, but the civic sense of ppl using it, and poor maintenance of those drain holes is the root cause,” a user highlighted.
“Elevated flyover gets flooded due to clogged drains. We have a good habit of using roads as dust bins,” another user lamented.
While netizens seem to be having a splash during Hyderabad’s unexpected day at the pool, it brings the glaring issue of urban flooding to the fore. With Hyderabad’s grand ambitions of being a global metropolis, it remains to be seen if these memes will inspire substantial change or become an annual event.