Residents of Bahadurpura constituency live with little hope of better amenities

Hyderabad: Septuagenarian Murtuza Siddiqui, a retired India Post employee and his wife Sadiqa Begum, residents of Kamatipura, have been living with the stench from the garbage heap in front of their house for the last 20 years.

The foul smell and the filthy view have forced the couple and the family to stay confined within the house, as opening the doors and windows is not an option for them.

Many residents in Bahadurpura constituency, which has over 3.1 lakh voters, have a similar tale to narrate, a testimony to the apathy of the authorities and leaders towards them.

Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, Sadiqa Begum said, “Nobody ever comes to this street even for sweeping. My husband has been cleaning the surroundings for many years.”

Children can be seen playing in the open area near the garbage dump, leaving them open to catching diseases.

Tabasuum Begum from Sohail Kanta Road, while expressing anguish over the perennial drainage overflow near her house, said that all three of her children had suffered from dengue and viral fevers multiple times.

Streets with open manholes and non-functional streetlights are adding to the plight of the locals.

Taheera Begum, a 63-year-old resident of Rahmatpura, said that the nala near her house has been overflowing for 30 years. “Whom should we approach? Who will look at the dreadful conditions that we live in? There is nobody here to listen to our cries. Those who can afford facilities have a better life. Where should poor people like me go?” she said.

A big drainage line is always overflowing near Sri Murali Manohar Swami temple and Alla masjid on Kishanbagh’s main road.

Open transformers have led to many incidents. An open transformer right next to the Kamatipura police station, which also had a hand pump, posed a serious safety risk. Unable to bear the trauma any longer, the locals got the box fixed by pooling in money as they were wary of any more short circuits.

The vegetable mandi in front of Kishan Bagh park had also made life miserable for vegetable vendors and the locals.

Md. Shabi, a vegetable vendor, said that the garbage pile was neglected for the last five years. It is only when someone lodges complaints that the authorities clean the dump.

Abdul Rasheed, who runs a shop in Bahadurpura, said that the situation had become absolutely hopeless. He is not keen on casting his vote this time as it would make no difference to their lives.