Hyderabad: Civic issues emerged as the primary concern for voters in the Jubilee Hills assembly constituency. The Jubilee Hills constituency has over 3.99 lakh voters. Here, the slum residents are calling for improved civic amenities, whereas affluent populaces are expressing dissatisfaction with the declining quality of living conditions.

Jubilee Hills is an affluent suburban area of Hyderabad. It is one of the most expensive commercial and residential locations in India with prime land prices. The area is also home to the Telugu Film Industry Hub of Film Nagar and some of its studios such as Ramanaidu Studios, Padmalaya Studios and Annapurna Studios. Contrary to the belief, it has more middle-class and weaker section colonies than rich and posh areas falling under its jurisdiction.

The voters in the upcoming by-election for the constituency are highlighting their problems, including basic necessities which had not been solved for the past several years.

The residents are urging the next elected representative to address long-pending issues in the constituency.

The residents here, especially in slums, are struggling with potholed roads, open nalas, contaminated water, dysfunctional streetlights, and poor sanitation. They say that during elections, leaders’ visit and promise to fix problems, but nothing has changed.

Various localities including Rahmath Nagar, Kalyan Nagar, Krishna Nagar, Borabanda, Erragadda, Habibfatima Nagar, Sriram Nagar, Fatima Nagar, Natraj Nagar, Sultan Nagar, and various other slums remain the same. At Borabanda, the residents shared their anger on the drain that has repeatedly breached its boundary to inundate the colony and surrounding by lanes. “This has been over a decade since we have been complaining, but things remain the same,” said Amjed.

In various colonies, there is poor sanitation as heaps of garbage lay and lacked civic amenities. Only the areas which touch the posh areas are developed and other localities remain the same, blamed the residents in slums. “We have complained to leaders and civic officials for years, but nothing improves. We have been forced to live with bad roads, poor sewerage network, mosquitoes, and heaps of garbage dumps,” said G Venkatesh, a resident of Yousufguda.

During monsoon, the worst-hit localities in the city that face flooding are Krishna Nagar, parts of Yousufguda, Venkatagiri, Erragadda, Borabanda, Rahmath Nagar and Shaikpet low-lying areas. “During each heavy rain, water flooding on roads, bikes getting washed away, water gushing into our houses has become a common sight in Krishna Nagar,” said Balaji, a resident.

Moreover, mosquito menace, poor sanitation, frequent sewage overflows, illegal parking, illegal constructions remain common in slums and even in upscale Jubilee Hills colonies.

Meanwhile, the Jubilee Hills Forum, which comprises over 150 colonies, will soon pass a resolution for their support to the candidate in the by-elections. Residents from the Federation of Sectors Welfare Associations in Jubilee Hills have been taking such various initiatives during the elections.

In last municipality elections they have passed a resolution to go with NOTA.

Mohammed Asif Hussain Sohail, a resident of Surya Nagar Colony, Shaikpet, and member of Forum, said, “We the Jubilee Hills Colonies Association will be approaching all the political parties and will share our grievances; one that gives assurances will be voted for.”

Sohail said that they have made voters aware in each colony that they should not cast their vote on the basis of caste, community and favoured party. The Forum decided to vote on the basis of development.

The Forum includes the colonies from areas like Erragadda, Jubilee Hills, Film Nagar, Yousufguda, Rahmath Nagar, and Shaikpet. It has nearly one lakh voters in the Forum.