Hyderabad: Ongoing stormwater drain works at Model House in Punjagutta cause traffic gridlock

Ongoing stormwater drain works near Model House in Punjagutta have caused severe traffic congestion, delaying commuters for weeks. GHMC officials said the project is nearing completion but progress has slowed due to heavy rains, with the remaining work expected to finish soon.

Hyderabad: The ongoing stormwater drain works near Model House in Punjagutta have been causing severe traffic gridlock and delays for commuters, with vehicles moving slowly through the affected stretch.

Several efforts have been made over the years to address the decades-old issues related to the stormwater drain system here. However, with all of them apparently proving futile, another round of works is under way even as commuters continue to suffer.

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The manhole works have been under way at Model House for the past few weeks despite the MA&UD Department imposing a ban on road-digging works during the monsoon. The ongoing works have been leading to traffic jams on the busy stretch between NIMS Hospital and Punjagutta towards Ameerpet, with commuters facing long delays.

The GHMC Khairatabad Engineering wing began laying pipelines for the stormwater drain on the stretch six months ago and completed the work in a phased manner. However, the civil works have been delayed and are continuing on the same stretch.

Daily commuters expressed anguish over the disruption and lamented that traffic jams on the route continue throughout the year, with peak hours being particularly difficult for travel. With the heavy rains over the last few days, commuting has become even more difficult.

When contacted, GHMC officials said the stormwater drain works were taken up in a phased manner and that earth excavation was avoided during the daytime to minimise inconvenience to road users. Key works, such as earth excavation and pipeline laying, were carried out during late-night hours.

The officials said the ongoing manhole works were almost complete, but progress had been hampered by heavy rains. “We will complete the work in a day or two,” an official said.