Jalpally residents flag civic woes nearly a year after GHMC merger

Residents of Jalpally Circle continue to report inadequate street lighting, poor sewerage infrastructure, unfinished roads and irregular garbage clearance nearly a year after the municipality merged with GHMC. They have called for urgent action to improve basic civic amenities.

HYDERABAD: Problems relating to inadequate street lighting, poor sewerage infrastructure, unfinished roads and irregular garbage clearance continue to plague the erstwhile Jalpally municipality, now part of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC), nearly a year after its merger with the civic body.

Several localities in Jalpally Circle, including Bismillah Colony, Kothapet, Wadi-e-Saleheen, Wadi-e-Mustafa, Al-Aain Colony, Shaheen Nagar and New Babanagar, lack adequate street lighting, leaving stretches of roads poorly illuminated after dusk.

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“Road stretches are quite dark after dusk. Women and children are afraid to walk, as there is always a fear of thieves taking advantage of the darkness,” said Mohd. Shahed, a resident of Bismillah Colony.

Civic officials attributed the delay in installing street lights to a shortage of electricity poles, stating that the poles had to be provided before the lights could be installed. Residents, however, said the absence of basic lighting continued to affect their safety and movement after dark.

Inadequate sewerage infrastructure is another major concern in several neighbourhoods, where households continue to depend on septic tanks in the absence of underground drainage networks. The lack of a dedicated sewerage system has also affected road development, with residents complaining that several stretches remain unpaved or in poor condition.

“Road construction works have not been taken up because of the delay in laying the sewerage network. During the rainy season, the muddy roads become almost impassable,” pointed out Sarfaraz Khan, a local resident.

Residents said the problems were compounded by inadequate garbage clearance in several localities. Accumulated waste at some spots is occasionally set on fire, causing smoke and pollution in residential areas.

The civic infrastructure deficiencies have raised concerns among residents about the pace of development following the merger of the erstwhile municipality with the GHMC. They said the transition had yet to translate into improvements in several basic services, including street lighting, drainage, road connectivity, and sanitation, and seek immediate measures to address the infrastructure gaps.