Hyderabad: Fear returns to haunt rain effected residents

Falaknuma: Ahead monsoon fear and panic gripped residents of all those colonies which were severely damaged during rains in October last year. Despite the authorities assurance of no damage in future even if the city witnesses heavy rains, as they built the bund at Gurram Cheruvu which was collapsed and also completed the demolition drive near the Falaknuma nala at Al Jubail colony in Falaknuma last year itself.

Hyderabad lost 33 lives, nearly 40,000 families got badly impacted and suffered a property loss of Rs 6.7 billion (Rs 670 crores) due to rains in October last year. The low lying areas near the Gurram Cheruvu at Balapur were flooded as the bund collapsed and the floodwater took no time to unleash the mayhem in colonies such as Omer Colony, Hafiz Baba Nagar, Gulshan-e-Iqbal Colony, Phool Bagh beside Aaliya Garden and several others.

Even after HMWSSB constructed a bund to stop flooding in future the residents believe that there is a risk as the lake is filled with waste debris which might collapse the bund again. "After building the bund the authorities did not bother to remove debris and further no works were done risking floods ahead," pointed Mohammed Azeem, resident of Hafez Baba Nagar.

When one hears the name 'Al -Jubail colony' in Falaknuma it is reminded of how several lives were lost and others were in risk as the entire colony remained inundated in water for almost 15 days. Water flowing from Ali Nagar in Bandlaguda to Falaknuma bridge covers areas such as Al-Jubail Colony Hashamabad, Al Saroor Nagar, Ali Nagar, Ghazi-e-Millet Colony were people lived on the terrace with no food and power for more than two weeks.

According to GHMC's Town Planning wing, they took up the demolishing works of nala encroachments to avoid any damage. "The stretch of nala coming from Ali Nagar in Bandlaguda to Falaknuma bridge in inner ring road, the wing had identified a total of 36 structures and were also demolished. The repair works of Falaknuma Railway over Bridge (RoB) followed by the nala works is in progress," said an officer of Town Planning wing, GHMC Charminar zone.

"Nothing has changed on the ground since last year. Keeping the main and oldest outlet of Gurram Cheruvu completely closed for several years, the water of the lake is being allowed to flow from 50 meters away through a temporary and narrow route keeping the threat of another deluge like last year remain intact," said Esa Bahajjaj, General Secretary Greater Hyderabad Congress Committee.

Similar is the situation at Al-Jubail Colony, where the repair works of nala were not yet taken up to solve the issue permanently despite the fact that the nala has claimed several lives in last year's floods and the bodies are not yet retrieved. Cherry on the top is that the claim to build Falaknuma Bridge in six months of time has also not been fulfilled yet making the whole government machinery a bunch of mockery," he added.