Pahadi Shareef wallows in utter neglect

Rangareddy: The idea of carving out Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) simply by merging gram panchayats into municipalities in Rangareddy district seems not working well especially in the case of Jalpally municipality where most of the wards are standing at the same point where they were before the merger when it comes to development.

This, despite the oldest municipality standing on the borders of Hyderabad City but remain distant from the fruits of urban amenities like roads, sewerage, sanitation, water supply and healthcare facilities.

Pahadi Shareef Dargah Basti area, just in case, is a better example to prove the actual situation of the whole municipality that comes under Maheshwaram constituency represented by Minister of Education P Sabitha Indra Reddy. This area is the oldest habitation in the municipality that comes under Ward No 12.

Known for having a most revered shrine of Hazrat Baba Sharfuddin, this ward remain wears a rural look due to lack of proper roads and other amenities like sewerage line and safe water supply while people irrespective of religion visit the Dargah every day in myriad for blessings.

Despite a tiny ward of merely five streets with a population of over 1881 people (as per 2011 census which presently crossed to over 4,000), this area has no street road or proper water and sewerage system to help people live at least with basic amenities.

"Unmetalled roads, lack of sewerage system and completely unsafe bore water in the Ward No.12 gives a feel of an ultra rural village in an Urban Local Body (ULC) on the city outskirt. Not a single road was laid ever since the municipality was formed in the year 2016 even though the area has a famous shrine with a daily footfall of over 200 visitors and revered by all," said Mohd Anwar, a local resident.

Explaining more about the pathetic state of the area, Samad Bin Saddiq, a community activist said, "Roads turn into sludge during the rainy season while the rain water infiltrates into houses as no sewerage system was yet laid to regulate the storm water. Other wards are somewhat fortunate in having atleast a road, but Ward No.12 standing remains at a same point where it was at the time of merger."

People, he said, get the water from an underground water tank which has two worn-out steel lids damaged to an extent that make it fully exposed to filth flowing outside the tank. "Apart from this, a basti dawakhana without a doctor and lack of regular sanitary measures like lifting of garbage and sweeping the streets are the other issues adding to public woes in Ward No.12," he added.