Hyderabad: Cry for widened stormwater drains in city grows louder

Hyderabad: With the recent rains, water stagnation has become a never-ending problem in various localities in the city. Despite claims by the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWSSB) that various measures have been implemented under the monsoon plan, locals allege that the stormwater drains and open nalas are unable to handle the sudden influx of rainwater due to poor maintenance.

Even with just a little rainfall, many localities, including Jeedimetla, Gokul Nagar–Tarnaka, Devi Nagar-Malkajgiri, Pragati Nagar-Nizampet, Kukatpally, Red Hills, and Nampally, have been inundated. The main reason is that the existing stormwater drains need to be widened and maintained regularly. However, the reality is that only temporary solutions are provided when locals bring the issue to the attention of the concerned officials.

Few locals pointed out that in some places, the laying of drainage pipelines is pending, as in many areas, decade-old pipelines need to be replaced. “It has been more than a week since I complained to the water board about laying a new sewerage line behind the Himalaya Hotel at Sher Galli Bazar Ghat, Nampally, as we are facing hardship to commute,” said Mohammed Abid, a local of Nampally. “With just a little amount of rain, the complete lane in Gokul Nagar-Tarnaka is stagnated, and many times we have brought this issue to the water department, but no concrete measures were taken.

This is happening because of their lack of maintenance of stormwater drains,” said a local of Gokul Nagar. “It has been more than a week since I complained to the water board about an open manhole that is covered with trash at Nizampet, but till date, issues have not been rectified, and with recent rains, the complete lanes have been overflowing, and water has also entered a few houses,” said S Teja, a resident of Nizampet.