GHMC plans to prevent water-logging

Repairs of nalas, drains and other related works to be taken up on war-footing

Hyderabad: In order minimise the inundation in the city, the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation has identified critical water logging points and decided to take repairs of nala, drains and other related works with an estimated cost of Rs 478.5 crore. The civic body officials have also identified the causes of water stagnation across the city and prepared a redressal mechanism According to the official data collected from GHMC, it has decided to construct twin box drain / culvert (each vent - 2.5m x 1.5m) at Alugadda Bavi Junction in north zone with Rs 98.00 lakh.

Improvements of Storm water Drain of Panjagutta Nala (MN11)-Zone-1, of erstwhile MCH area- Balance gap portion from Picnic Bakery towards Yashoda Hospital (from CH0 to Ch15) metres and in front of Yashoda Hospital premises (from Ch375 to Ch 455) metres to existing open drain (Panjagutta Nala) with Rs 130 lakh, construct box culvert on Durgam Cheruvu Surplus near Malkam Cheruvu with Rs 650 lakh, construct box culvert across NH near Deepthisri Nagar Main road with Rs 300 lakh, construction of box culvert on PJR Hills Main Road, Gachibowli with Rs 500 lakh, construction of drain for Old Bombay Highway from Tolichowki to Gachibowli (Balance Work) with Rs 180 lakh, construction of RCC box drain culverts widening of cross culverts for service roads at multilevel flyover at Bio Diversity junction under Strategic Road Development Plan with Rs 910 lakh, construction of box culvert at PJR Road, Gangaram (Nala:-Madinaguda Cheruvu to Gangaram Cheruvu) with Rs 37.50 lakh, construct RCC box drain from Fort View Colony to Sunshine Valley with Rs 990 lakh and construct RCC box drain from Sunshine Valley to Musi river with Rs 990 lakh.

The civic body officials also identified the causes for water stagnation across the city. They said natural drainage system has been replaced with concrete buildings due to high value of urban land. Lakes and nalas are getting polluted due to improper disposal of domestic/industrial effluents. Once, the number of water bodies were 530 and is reduced to 169. Lakes such as Mir Jumala Tank, Ma Saab Tank, Bathukamma Kunta are lost forever and Hussain Sagar Lake has shrunk.

Flow in storm water drains is getting affected due to obstructions such as underground utilities (water line/sewer lines/bunches of electrical cables) running along/across the drains, letting of sewage into Storm Water Drains due to insufficient sewerage network resulting in reduction of carrying capacity of nalas. Major nalas crossing main roads were mostly provided with insufficient section of pipe drains and without any provision for cleaning in between the ends. Hence, most of pipe culverts across main roads are not cleaned for 2 to 3 years.

When queried about the issue, Ziauddin, Chief Engineer (operation and maintenance) told The Hans India that the civic body has already prepared long term redressal mechanism to resolve the issues.

The redressal mechanism includes long term step -widening of nalas duly removing encroachments/structures, intercepting and diverting all sewers by laying separate sewerage network to avoid sewage flow into storm water drains, restoration of lakes to their original capacity to act as Buffer Zones for flow, creation of alternative ponds at low lyingareas wherever possible.

Maddy Deekshith