Residents Frustrated by Repeated Monsoon Problems

Hyderabad: Monsoon has become synonymous with suffering for Hyderabad residents, with rainfall inevitably spelling traffic troubles, waterlogging, flooding, drain backflow and overflow, with the poor living in slums near drains acutely feeling the pain.

Every year, residents say, the city’s infrastructure collapses, but authorities take no action, instead, covering up the façade to claim that the city is a global one.

“Potholes are countless and roads look like an international dirt track for racing. For bikers such as myself, the spine gives up. Authorities should try to travel on the road between Bahadurpur and Shivarampally. There are so many colonies here and every resident will complaint about the same, as people have lost count of the number of bikes that are skidding and people, falling,” said Amjad Ali, a resident of Shivarampally.

A spillover of water from the Mir Alam Tank, which is at capacity, entered nearby colonies and flooded a park in the locality. The Musi River is also gushing at full force, after water was released into it by opening sluice gates of the Himayatsagar and Osmansagar reservoirs.

So far, four sluice gates of Himayatsagar have been opened up to two feet, with an outflow of 2,750.5 cusecs into the Musi on Tuesday alone, affecting areas of Moosanagar, Kamalanagar, parts of Afzalnagar, Amberpet, Golnaka, Teegalaguda Road and Old Malakpet. Residents of these areas are fearful of increased water release into the Musi, as it will lead to flooding of their areas.

The Moosarambagh Bridge, which was also waterlogged due to overflow from Musi, caused panic among residents, who suspected that the bridge was submerged due to its low-lying structure. There was palpable relief once the water was cleared and movement resumed.  

“We earn on daily wage works; most of our colony residents are either pushcart petty vendors or do some odd jobs, but these rains have left us without any earnings,” said Muthyalamma, a resident of Golnaka.  

She said that although the rain was normal, the area gets flooded, which is the story of every monsoon.