Shoppers turn their noses up as sewage stink pervades Abids

Hyderabad: Abid Road is one of the most popular shopping hubs in the city. Popularly known as Abids, it has been stinking with overflowing sewage gushing out of manholes from a residential apartment for the past few days.

Starting from Triveni Complex, Ahuja Estate, sewage has been flowing till Abid's Circle. It has stagnated in front of jewellery, readymade garments and fabrics shops, causing hardships to customers, pedestrians, commuters and shop-owners.

Many shop-owners said the sewage line seems to be very old; it is being continued from the Nizam period, though the population in the area has increased the lines have not been updated.

As it is Diwali season, most shops have been decorated. For the past six months the sewage is overflowing on the road. Customers are forced to walk and enter shops rendering them unhygienic and dirty.

A shop-owner said the overflowing sewage is a daily problem for us. "Families along with children visit our shop, but they are forced to face stinking smell. This makes us feel bad;lots of difficulties are being caused to customers," he pointed out. A customer who visited a women's wear shop said, "I had to carry shopping bags and jump onto the footpath for visiting the shop as the entire stretch was filled with sewage causing several problems to others as well."

An owner of a restaurant near Triveni Apartment said, "Several times we had asked the apartment owners to register a complaint, as not only just them, but everyone in the Abid Road area is facing issues due to overflowing water on the road. But even after filing complaints with the Water Board no action has been taken. There is a need to update the sewage line in the Abid Road area. The work should be immediately taken up."