Denizens in soup as low-lying areas reel under flood waters

Hyderabad: The heavy rainfall lashing the city for the past one week has brought distress to the denizens residing in low-lying areas. The rain continues to haunt people; they are struggling due to water stagnation, uprooted trees, damaged vehicles, overflowing manholes and extensive road damage.

Life has come to a standstill due to the continuous rain for the last few days. It seems there is a possibility of heavy rain for next two days. All low-lying areas have already been flooded. The rain is making people’s life miserable.

With incessant rain, gusty winds and thunderstorms, several parts of the city were flooded, especially those situated in low-lying regions. The deluge was witnessed across localities in Boduppal, including Ram Reddy Nagar Colony, Vishnu Nagar Colony, East Anand Bagh, Nagole, Ayyappa Colony, Balaji Nagar, Jawahar Nagar, Peerzadiguda in eastern part of the city.

Residents allege they are facing a similar situation for the last couple of years, citing non-upgrading the pipelines. The low-lying areas have been witnessing waterlogging. Almost all manholes and major nalas are overflowing with rainwater and overflooding across localities with dirty water gushing out of manholes.

‘For the last four years the situation in the colony has been similar. Authorities have failed to solve the issue permanently; residents are facing problems in every monsoon season,” said Sai Teja of East Anand Bagh, who was seen clearing water from his house.

Teja’s mother said with knee-deep water entering houses all household items, including electronics, home furnishing and clothes, were damaged. Each year they have been facing a similar situation; but our pleas for solution to officials fall deaf ears,” she added.

People living close to nalas and in low-lying areas near lakes urge the civic body to immediately take up a drive to clear garbage. Nagole and surrounding areas in LB Nagar constituency were also flooded with sewage along with rain water after heavy rain.

Several areas in Tolichowki, including Nadeem Colony, Nizam colony, Hakeempet Kunta, Nanalnagar, MD Lines, Adityanagar Colony, Janakinagar, Samatha Colony, and those surrounding Shah Hatim Lake remain worst affected.

Residents accuse the civic authorities of not taking any action even after multiple complaints. Shaik Irfan of Nadeem Colony said, “with heavy rain water flooded streets and is still stagnant in the colony. If it again rains heavily we are afraid it may flood the locality and houses similarly like Hyderabad floods,” he added.

Said Mohammed Asif Hussain, a social activist, each year the civic body initiates the monsoon action plan, which includes desilting sewers and nalas, demolition of dilapidated structures and a few other works, but no proper plans and works are initiated. ‘ Several works have remained incomplete. The government and city planners must take steps in the city to prevent rainwater inundation,” he said.

“The residents must unite and raise their voice against the public representatives. With the upcoming elections, they must ask the representatives to solve the problem of water inundation or to choose NOTA in the upcoming election,” added Hussain.