Hyderabad: Is the city prepared for the monsoon? It's the question that we ask every year and every year the answer is the same: No. The weathermen have predicted that the monsoon will be like last year, which means heavy to very heavy rains on certain days for short durations; the deluge and subsequent flooding on September 21, 2016, had shown how unprepared the city was.
Some 20 dilapidated buildings have been issued notices but not demolished yet. Some parts of the 370-km of drains have not been de-silted, and certain old sewerage lines are on the verge of giving up.
No major road repairs have been done, only potholes filled. Encroachments on nalas have not been removed and no new storm water drains have been constructed. The city has barely moved an inch in the last one year.
When this newspaper asked residents to comment on the GHMC’s monsoon preparedness, many said their complaints had not been attended to. Mr A, Janardhan Rao of Moulali said that on May 9. when a thunderstorm hit the city, drainage water from the nala connecting to Banda Cherruvu overflowed onto the roads.
"At midnight, sewerage water entered houses because the nala was blocked. Till today no one has removed the dirt which smells bad. Bacteria and mosquitoes have increased in such unhygienic conditions and residents are falling sick. If this is not attended to, the entire colony will be deluged with sewer water when it rains,” he said.
Mr Shiva Ram of SR Nagar pointed to the damaged roads. “Both sides of the road were dug up at SR Nagar Lane 16 for repairs 15 days ago. People have problems commuting and pedestrians can't walk.”
Mr V. Sampath Kumar pointed to a dead tree that could fall during the rains. “It’s in a residential area in Ganeshnagar, Ramanthapur. It may fall any time and should be removed to avoid a big accident; children play here all the time."
The GHMC responded to these complaints by saying it has released Rs 27.84 crore for its monsoon action plan and inspected dangerous areas. "GHMC engineers have conducted joint inspection along with the traffic police to identify spots across the city that need repairs. Some 48 teams have been pressed into action only to fix the potholes. We have allocated 121 teams who will work 24x7 during the monsoons. The civic body has 19 emergency teams to clear tree branches which may fall after rains,” said municipal chief Dr B. Janardhan Reddy. It sounds impressive but whether it is adequate and will work will be seen when the heavens open up.
What GHMC has done so far
- On city’s Nala encroachment 842 properties, which are critical bottlenecks on the 370 km of nalas surveyed so far.
- Town planning and engineering wing directed to inspect properties for demolition. Few demolitions have taken place because notices have to be issued and the legal process followed.
- 234 water logging points have been identified.
- 74 are major points where standing rain water can affect normal life.
- 27 need immediate attention.
- Potholes are being filled every day. GHMC has appointed 48 teams to repair potholes during the monsoon and has provided them with machinery and vehicles.
