Walls near Begumpet, RK Puram railway stations hit denizens hard

Hyderabad: The walls constructed near Begumpet Railway Station and RK Puram service road are affecting the livelihoods of the residents. The closure of routes after the wall construction has created hurdles for the residents to commute freely from one place to another for work. They are struggling to find alternative routes to reach their destinations.

A few months ago, the railway authorities had built a wall near the Begumpet Railway Station to close the access across the tracks. Apparently, the wall has been built to reduce accidents on the tracks but this has disrupted the livelihood of around 1,000 domestic helpers residing in the areas of Matajinagar and Brahmanwadi in Begumpet. For decades, these women have been providing essential services to over 2,500 households in Methodist Colony, Umanagar, and Kundanbagh and travelled to their workplaces by crossing the railway tracks near Begumpet Railway Station. However, the newly constructed wall by railway authorities has disrupted their daily routine and forced the women to take a circuitous route from the road next to Lifestyle, increasing the commute by about 2 kilometres.

Similar situations are also witnessed at RK Puram service road, where due to the construction of a wall a decade ago, lakhs of commuters are facing hardships, as they are forced to travel a long distance to reach their destinations. “It will better if officials concerned come out with alternative solutions, such as providing an alternative route or demolishing the wall,” stated Robin, a resident of RK Puram.

Lavanya, a resident and a domestic helper, said, “For the past few months we have been facing difficulties in reaching our destinations due to the construction of the wall and because of this issue we are forced to take long routes to reach our workplace. We are vexed with requesting the railway officials and also state government officials to regulate access to cross the railway tracks till an underpass is constructed, as the construction is under process.”

Major Shiva Kiran, vice president, United Federation of Resident Welfare Associations (UFERWAS), said, “The issue is not limited to Matajinagar and Brahmanwadi. Similar problems persist along the railway tracks from Raj Bhavan’s MS Maktha to Begumpet. During a field survey, we found that large stretches of the tracks remain un-walled, but priority was given to blocking access used by these domestic helpers and it was also witnessed that garbage has also been deliberately dumped to prevent access.

It will be better if the officials come up with an alternative solution. A few members from the railways and from UFERWAS can also take initiative in easing their suffering.”