Despite monsoon ban, civic works continue across Hyderabad

Despite a monsoon-season ban on road-cutting works issued by the MA&UD Department, civic bodies in Hyderabad continue infrastructure and desilting projects. Residents have raised concerns over delayed flood-mitigation works, warning that several localities remain vulnerable to flooding this year.

Hyderabad: Ignoring a standard operating procedure (SoP) issued by the Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MA&UD) regarding a ban on road-digging works during the rainy season, the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) took up road-digging works at Ganesh Nagar in Ameerpet a couple of days ago, causing inconvenience to locals and shopkeepers.

Despite directions from the MA&UD for civic body officials to follow the ‘Standard Operating Procedure’ (SoP) strictly in view of the monsoon, the instructions were completely ignored.

---

According to the SoP, “a ban on all road cutting works within the limits of three civic bodies has been imposed from May 31 in view of the ensuing monsoon. This SoP would be continued till the end of the monsoon, and the ban will continue unless the specific orders lift it.”

Civic bodies took up civic works while ignoring MA&UD’s SOP that was to be followed during the rainy season. The issue was raised in the context of civic works being carried out despite the requirement to adhere to the prescribed procedure for the rainy season.

Cyberabad Municipal Corporation (CMC) and Malkajgiri Municipal Corporation (MMC) took up underground drainage works, the laying of water and sewerage lines, and the laying of new CC roads, with the works currently progressing.

In CMC, desilting works and channel widening are progressing at Khajaguda Lake. Similar works are at a brisk pace in Kondapur near Santosh Dhaba, as well as at Mondikunta and Jubilee Gardens. The HYDAA commissioner, who visited Kondapur and other areas, noticed desilting works were delayed and slabs were covered on stormwater drains, which caused flood risks.

In MMC, desilting works are in progress at Jaheer Nagar in Habsiguda, Snehapuri Colony in Nacharam, Raghavendra Nagar, and NTR Nagar at Mallapur. Civic body officials were supposed to complete these desilting works ahead of the monsoon.

According to a senior MMC engineer, the tender process for the desilting works was delayed. Flood risk is said to be present at NTR Nagar, with stormwater drains not desilted to date.

Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs) expressed their anguish over the civic bodies’ apathy and said, “We will experience flood risk this year too, as we have already faced it in the last year due to unfinished desilt works at several areas in the civic bodies.”