Hyderabad: The city’s oldest and biggest subway at Koti is in a dismal state with no security and maintenance.
The subway has become an ideal home for drug peddlers, rag pickers and beggars during late hours.
Meanwhile, the subway at RTC crossroads is closed for the last one month owing to a damaged road and sewerage water remains stagnant in the subway. Experts say that the design (entry and exit points) has no designated pedestrian pathway.
Talking about the Koti underground pathway, salesman Neeraj Kumar said that crossing the road at Koti is nothing short of an expedition. However using the subway is no option either.
“The stretch is dirty and reeks and not many use it. It is dark and has no lights at night and one can find liquor bottles thrown all over the pathway. The ceiling is broken and people, especially women, are scared to use the subway.”
Valli K., an employee of Just Dial said, “I haven’t seen anyone using the RTC crossroad subway even when it was open. It is the worst subway where stagnant water and filth makes it smell like a public toilet. It’s been flooded since a month. Sadly, this is the road that needs a subway the most since it is wide and has traffic converging from two main roads.”
A.V. Srinivas, a law and order official, who had worked with the Hyderabad Traffic department, said, “The very design of the subways are incorrect. None of them have a designated gather point, a pathway leading to the entry and exit.
One needs to actually find the entrance and exit at both RTC and Koti. Unlike Delhi and Mumbai, there are no 24X7 activities (shopping and eatery joints) and things get bad during monsoons when the entire stretch is flooded.”
“The state government should allow private or government outlets in the subways. These are not locked, there’s no proper lighting nor are they maintained, turning them into homes for all unsocial elements.
The pathways are disturbed by parked vehicles, book or small junk food stalls,” he added. As per experts, the subways should be renovated and security teams deployed for constant vigil.
