Drain works fail to tackle floods in Hyderabad

Hyderabad: The crores spent on de-silting stormwater drains every year seem futile as the drains are clogged again in no time.

Though de-silting is a must every year to let water flow freely in the drains, it has become an annual pre-monsoon quick-fix solution.

Every year, despite the huge amounts of money spent, the very first heavy rain of the season shows the pointlessness of the exercise in terms of monsoon preparedness.

Over Rs 20 crore was spent on de-silting last year and more than Rs 28 crore has been sanctioned this time.

This season, most of the de-silting works of the major drains —Picket Nala, Murki Nala and Ashok Nagar Nala — have already been completed, said a senior official from GHMC.

However, after the rains last Friday, stormwater in these areas was overflowing on the roads.

“The existing stormwater drains have to be remodeled completely. They are old. And the innumerous encroachments on the drains need to be removed,” said a senior official from the engineering department.

He added that due to political reasons “even if the former can be accomplished over time, the latter can’t be achieved easily”.

When asked about the announcements made during the Swachh Hyderabad drive regarding the “removal of encroachments”, the official said that “it is easier said than done”.

“It is not easy to remove the encroachments on these drains. People have settled down for 10 years now at many of these sites. We have tried time and again, but have failed to convince the illegal settlers,” said the officials.

“They are not inconvenienced by the annual four-five days of heavy rainfall, they are worried about non-fulfillment of the promises of pucca-houses. The relocation schemes offered are impractical for the working class,” the official explained.