After rain, water bodies at quarries in Hyderabad turn death traps

Hyderabad: The stone quarries in Jagathgirigutta have become death traps for residents of the surrounding areas. There are nearly 15 abandoned quarries in the area and more than 20 people have drowned in them in the past one year.

Youngsters come to these water-filled quarries to swim, and women to wash clothes as the area suffers from a shortage of water. Residents say that despite many representations to civic officials and political leaders, nothing has been done to eliminate the threat posed by the quarries.

The abandoned stone quarries are spread across Devendranagar, Balaiahnagar and Khaisarnagar in Qutbullapur mandal, which comes under the jurisdiction of the Jagathgirigutta police station.

Till a decade ago, the quarries were functional, extracting stone and processing it in the nearby stone crushers. The stone was used in construction and road works. But once the quarry was exhausted, the owners vacated the premises abruptly, leaving the quarries as they are.

The area is less than 5 km from Kukatpally and KPHB. On weekends and holidays, people come here for an outing along with their families. Kids like fishing in the waters and others come to just loaf about.

“We usually come here to wash clothes, as there is no regular water supply. There were incidents of drunken youths teasing and misbehaving with us. Now that we have started coming in groups, the problem is slightly less,” said one of the women, Ms Vyshnavi.

“This area is a good recreation spot, as it is filled with water and there is some greenery around. But at the same time, it has become a dangerous spot due to the deep waters and people drowning,” said Mr P. Rangaswamy, a resident of Devendranagar. As the quarries are located far from residential areas, they attract anti-social elements also.  

Mr Shaik Jahangir, president of the Devendranagar Welfare Association, said that the residents wanted the officials to take measures to avoid such incidents, but they have been ignored. After the incident of October 16, “senior officials and leaders visited the site and assured us that they will find a solution to the issue,” he said.

Police talks of patrols and warning boards

After two boys drowned in the waters of a quarry on October 18, officials have started to implement safety measures. Inspector P. Srinivas of the Jagathgiri-gutta police said patrolling had been in-creased near the quarries to ensure people don’t swim and check those consuming alcohol around the area.

The quarry is usually dry or has little water, but due to the recent rains, the water levels have increased, a major attraction for youngsters who underestimate the depth and don’t realise that rocks and sharp stones, left over from the stone extracting days lurk beneath the surface. If they dive into the water, they hit the rocks and lose control and drown.

“We have written to the revenue officials to erect warning boards at the earliest and fence off the quarries so that entry is restricted. Talks are going on with colony elders to create awareness among the public about the dangers of swimming,” the inspector said.

“A detailed report on the current situation and the recent incidents will be sent to the district collector and based on the instructions we will proceed,” said Quthbullapur tahsildar Md Ilyas Ahmed.