Families await closure as two men remain missing in Afzalsagar nala mishap

Two men, Arjun and Ramu, were swept away in the Afzalsagar nala in Hyderabad’s Mallepally during heavy rain on Sunday night. Despite three days of search, their bodies remain untraced. Families and residents demand government support and accountability

Hyderabad: The inaccessible lane at Afzalsagar locality in Mallepally is witnessing a lot of activity these days. Motorcades zoom into the congested roads of Mallepally, neatly dressed officials arrive and move into the Mang Garodi Basthi, locally called Mangar Basthi, a locality known more for its haphazard layout and poverty.

Due to heavy rains on Sunday night, two men – Arjun and Ramu – were swept away in the Afzalsagar nala. It has been more than 72 hours, but there is no trace of the men, both daily wagers who stayed in one room tenements in the locality.

The family uses a portion of the lane as kitchen while on the remaining small space, a steel cot is placed for the children. “That day, when it started raining and water flow increased, Arjun rushed out to collect and shift kitchen articles. He was trying to pull the cot that was flowing towards the nala, when he slipped and got swept away. His uncle Ramu, tried to save him but he too slipped and was pushed away towards the nala by the heavy water current,” recalled Arjun’s mother-in-law, Sangita.

At the end of the lane, there is Afzalsagar nala that carries the rain water to Musi river. “A barricade is put at the end of the lane so that no one falls into the nala. On that day, the barricade was missing. If it would have been there, Arjun would have been saved,” said Shakuntala, wife of Arjun.

Arjun took up odd jobs to take care of his family comprising his wife and four children – the eldest aged nine year and the youngest aged six months. “We are eagerly waiting for the authorities to at least trace the bodies so that we can perform cremation. Leaders and officials are visiting, but no one is sure when they will find the bodies,” said Anjamma, Arjun’s aunt.

A little away from Arjun’s house, is the house of his relative Ramu. “On that day, Ramu was sitting in the house chatting with Arjun. He tried to save Arjun and got swept away,” said Digambar, a local resident.

The local residents are worried about the future of the two women and their children. “There is no hope of them being alive now, the government should do something for them,” demanded Rajesh, another local resident.