HYDERABAD: The incomplete nala works on the arterial road of Langer Houz opposite Bapu Ghat has made life miserable for the residents and all those who frequent the adjacent road.
Although it was supposed to be completed within three months, only a third of the works have been completed in the last four months.
The sluggish pace of the development works by GHMC authorities and the barricades occupying a patch of half of the road on one side have been causing severe inconvenience to commuters, residents and shopkeepers. Heavy traffic and the resultant congestion, space crunch and the half open pothole are safety risks everyone has to brave.
The road connects Langer Houz to Attapur, Narsingi circle and TSPA junction. It gets heavily crowded and congested, especially during peak hours. Since the commencement of the nala work, traffic congestion has remained a problem late into the evenings every day.
Among the worst hit are shopkeepers who are losing out on business as barricades have been put right in front of several shops in the vicinity.
A waste paper merchant, whose shop is adjacent to the nala, lamented that half of it has been demolished for the construction work. He said that his shop, now under a partial roof, is not visible because of the barricading.
“I am eagerly waiting for this work to get over so that I can get my business back to normal”, said kabadi Narsi Reddy.
The locals had hoped that the work might get over before monsoon, which seems unlikely. Parking is another major concern for the shops lined on the side of the main road.
G. Laxmikant, owner of a bicycle shop, said that although the work was in the public interest, authorities need to be considerate to the problems faced by locals. He said that the open pit posed a serious risk to pedestrians and motorists.
Many residents expressed concern that the situation would impact the festive season.
Sai Baba Yadav, a local resident, said that bonalu is celebrated in the temple on the opposite side of the road where bonams are made every year but this year the nala work will hamper the celebrations.
“We have festivals lined up in succession. Bonalu is followed by Ganesh festival, Dussara and Diwali. We use the Bapu ghat ground for selling Ganesh idols and crackers. But with this pending nala work, both celebrations and business will be affected this year”, said Yadav.
GHMC officials said that the work was undertaken in three phases and the first one is nearing phase was almost near completion.
“After the first phase, we will move to the centre of the road and then finally to the other end, which will take another three months. We faced issues of utilities and encroachment when we started the work due to which the work was delayed. As of now only the electricity poles have to be moved to finish the first phase. We are in the process to get traffic diversion permission for the second phase, which will start soon”, a GHMC official said.
