Overcast skies and heavy but isolated rains for the past one week after a prolonged delay in monsoons are giving jitters to the city dwellers thanks to the roads dug up left, right, and centre for development works of various departments.
On Tuesday, CCTV camera footage of a girl falling into an open trench in Mohammed Nagar of Chandrayangutta was shared on social media. Luckily, the girl was rescued by an alert passer-by as the flow was low in the drain. Local people attributed the open drain to pending road works by Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation.
While at several locations roads and streets remain dug up for months together owing to works pertaining to the Strategic Nala Development Programme (SNDP) taken up as a solution for flooding issue, there are several instances of digging works taken up after June 1.
This is despite the ban imposed by GHMC on fresh road cutting and digging until further orders.
GHMC Commissioner has imposed a deadline of May 31 for restoration of the roads already cut for laying sewerage pipelines and electric cables. Trench filling should be taken up as temporary restoration measure using stone dust or other such material, he directed, and said Executive Engineers of the respective circles will be held responsible for any instance of trenches being left open. However, adherence to the directive seems to be lax on part of contractors as well as officials.
“Work for laying sewerage lines started about a week ago, and is still continuing here. A sewage filled trench is left open, which proves risky for passers by when it rains heavy,” said K. Mahesh, resident of Pochamma Basti in Punjagutta. The colony is victim of frequent sewage overflow, yet officials had not acted through the summer months to redress the issue.
Road can be seen dug up for quite a length for sewerage works in Tolichowki too. The main road leading from Tolichowki to Qutb Shahi tombs, and all the parallel roads leading to Shaikpet have been dug up for quite some time, which have not been filled up following the directives from GHMC Commissioner. There is a trench dug up beneath the Tolichowki flyover too which is causing traffic jams, locals shared.
At Padma Colony where ongoing nala works resulted in submergence previously, trenches dug up for SNDP works remain, posing danger to pedestrians in the event of rain.
“We had to hound the GHMC officials and the contractor to fill up the trenches before rains begin. They have done a shoddy job of it just one day back. Still a few manholes are left open,” said P. Srinivasa Murthy, resident of Fathullaguda, where stormwater drain works have been going on for more than a year.
