GHMC not to take up nala widening works

Hyderabad: The GHMC decision to not do the widening of major nalas under the Strategic Nala Development Plan (SNDP) has added to the monsoon woes.

The town planning wing of the corporation made clear that it is not in a position to acquire land for the major nala projects, both in the city outskirts as well as the core city areas. The corporation would construct additional retaining walls for the existing nalas in the city and take up minor widening in the core city, where land acquisition is minimal.

The corporation, after the October 2020 flash floods, had decided to take up the SNDP project at an estimated cost of Rs 858.32 crore. There was lukewarm response from bidders the last year. The project has been divided into 15 packages and 55 works. Of them, 36 fall within the purview of the GHMC and the remaining in the adjoining municipalities.

However, the authorities could finalise 46 works for 15 packages in the city zones. In Secunderabad zone (package -1,2 and 3), seven works have been proposed at an estimated cost of Rs 163 crore. In Kukatpally zone (package – 4), two works were proposed at a cost of Rs 112.80 crore. In LB Nagar zone (package -5 and  6), seven works were proposed at a cost of Rs 113.59 crore.

In Khairatabad and Serilingampally zones (package -7 and 10 ), 10 works were proposed at a cost of Rs 185.87 crore. In Charminar zone, Jalpally municipality, Meerpet municipal corporation and Badangpet municipality (Package -8,9,11,12 and 13), 12 works at a cost of Rs 180.02 crore were proposed.

In Nizampet Municipal Corporation and Peddamberpet municipality (package 14 and 15), 11 works were proposed at a cost of Rs 130.91 crore. The corporation has decided to execute 46 works pertaining to 78.31km length of the nala.

Officials said the corporation could do only minor widening works due to the land acquisition hurdles, and this, where land was readily available, and also construct the retaining walls.

Instruction from top was to avoid taking up major nala widening works as it would require huge compensation for land acquisition. This apart, if the project is executed, it would affect several families and this would draw criticism from residents living adjacent to nalas.

It is noted that the city was prone to inundation during the current monsoon too. The areas that had been inundated in the eastern part of the city would submerge again, but the corporation is throwing its hands up. Curiously, some mega fanfare inaugurations were done in areas that are less flood-prone.