Hyderabad: Babus pore over plan to reopen Firangi Nala soon to tame floods

Jalpally (Hyderabad): Sensing the enormity of the situation after more rain was forecast in the city, Municipal Administration Commissioner Dr N Satyanarayana and Regional Director, Municipal Administration, Srinivas Reddy on Wednesday undertook a surprise visit to Burhankhan Lake in Jalpally Municipality, along with other senior officials and took stock of the situation.

The visit comes on the same day The Hans India raised the issue of submerged houses in Osman Nagar area 'Hassled Osman Nagar dwellers flag concern over fresh rains' on Wednesday (September 8), warranting officials' attention to the plight of the obsolete structures sinking in flood water since a year and are on the verge of collapse.

During the two-hour-long visit, Satyanarayana pored over the arrangements made by Jalpally Municipality to tackle any emergency situation in the wake of more rain. He enquired about the water level in the lake and the measures to curtail the flood water issue at Osman Nagar in Ward No.7 where hundreds of houses remain under water.

The officials descended on the lake area early in the morning and inspected the bund where strengthening measures were put in place by the municipality to inhibit floods swarming into nearby colonies.

Accompanied by Commissioners of Jalpally and Badangpet municipalities GP Kumar and Krishna Mohan Reddy, besides officials of the Revenue, Police and Irrigation departments, Municipal Administration Commissioner Dr N Satyanarayana inspected the lake stretch and the areas hit by consistent rain and subsequent flood. He also discussed the reopening of historic Firangi Nala – a main nerve that connects the course of lakes and passes flood water from one water body to another. The Firangi Nala was closed at several locations to pave the way for encroachments in water bodies.

The officials discussed the trench line project around the lake with at an estimated cost of Rs.25 crore to divert sewerage and storm water of surrounding areas. According to officials, the trench line will move from Osman Nagar to Gurram Cheruvu, Balapur, encompassing the areas around the lake.

Satyanarayana instructed the Jalpally and Badangpet authorities to keep monitoring and take appropriate pre-emptive measures to tactically handle any situation as more rain was forecast. He also pored over the plantation drive and sanitary arrangements being put in place by the municipality.

It is said that Rangareddy Collector Amoy Kumar is supervising the situation in the Jalpally area, specially at the lake where hundreds of houses were already submerged, while the week-long torrential rain has aggravated the situation.