Netizens Praise Youths for Releasing Snake into GHMC Office

HYDERABAD: Bharatinagar residents, who had released a snake at the GHMC circle office at Alwal on Tuesday over lack of action by the GHMC in capturing the reptile that had entered their house, were praised by Hyderabad's netizens for their ‘brave’ action.

The incident took place at 2.20 pm on Tuesday, when two youngsters entered the GHMC office with the snake in a transparent polythene bag and placed it on the table of the section officer at the GHMC’s Temple Alwal circle office.

The residents were allegedly angry with officials for not taking action over the reptile being carried into their house by floodwater, despite waiting for seven hours.

Twitterati, hailing Alwal’s ‘Snake Men’, said that the GHMC got what it deserved. 

A user with the handle Deepu wrote: “When they don't address the problem, take the problem to their address (sic).”

“Good job ! These authorities should be dealt with snakes (read ironfist) ! Apathy of officials is still a pain in the (sic),” wrote another user Deepesh Surabaya. 

“Job well done. explain in the language they understand (sic),” said a third user, while a fourth used expressed his wish to garland the man responsible.

Another user wrote, “The frustrations are valid, many complaints with video proofs regarding dug up road and drainage lines fall on deaf ears, nobody cares at @GHMCOnline.”

A resident, whose complaint allegedly fell on deaf ears too, wrote: “I too complained @GHMCOnline multiple times about snakes being spotted many times in our locality and to take some preventive measures but they were never bothered (sic).” 

“Good Job. @GHMCOnline @CommissionrGHMC these public servants take salaries and doesn't work. Every other day i need to raise complaint in GHMC App inorder for our road to get cleaned. No complaint no cleaning. (sic),” another resident wrote.

Officials slam youth action

Deputy commissioner for Alwal circle A. Nagamani said she had just completed her lunch and was resuming work when the incident took place. “Two youth entered my cabin. One of them was holding a live snake in a transparent polythene bag. I panicked the moment I saw a snake in their hands,” said Nagamani, who took charge as the deputy commissioner of Qutubullapur circle on Wednesday. 

“One of them said that the snake entered their house due to heavy rainwater. I assured them that the officers will look into their issue. They then left my cabin and went to section officer G. Swami’s cabin and left the snake on his table, I was told later,” Nagamani said.

The entire office was vacated and the snake was caught by experts and handed over to forest department officials.

However, the residents dismissed officials’ claims that they left the snake in the office.

“We had given a complaint that the snake entered the house of Vinod Kumar, in Bharatinagar, from a drain. We waited for seven hours for the officials to catch the snake, but they did not come. So, we first went to GHMC ward office and then to the circle office only to show them the snake, not with an intention to scare them,” Akshay Kumar, a relative of Vinod Kumar, said.

“We did not leave the snake at the office. The officials are making false allegations,” Akshay said.

The GHMC official cited above said that they reported the matter to the ward corporator but did not get a response. “However, there are no CCTV cameras installed at the GHMC circle office to identify and lodge a complaint with the police,” the official said.

Meanwhile, GHMC staff said they took action on the complaint by removing shrubs near the complainant’s house.

J. Upender Rao, inspector of Alwal police station, said on Wednesday said that a complaint was yet to be lodged into the incident.