Road works, waterlogging trigger severe traffic jams in Hyderabad
Heavy monsoon rains and ongoing infrastructure works have led to severe traffic congestion in Hyderabad, especially in the Gachibowli–Raidurg corridor. Incomplete road projects, excavation work and waterlogging have worsened peak-hour travel, prompting criticism of civic preparedness.
Hyderabad: Even before the denizens could recover from the sweltering summer heat, the monsoon travails have added to the miseries in Hyderabad.
Lack of pre-monsoon preparedness on part of the designated city administration units was obvious when inundated roads made commuting into a nightmarish experience in several parts of the city on Monday evening.
The roads were not readied to tackle the traffic during heavy rains, which was obvious in many parts of the city. The Telecom department had carried out excavation for cable work for about a 2 km to 3 km stretch between Gachibowli Stadium and IIIT Junction at Gachibowli. The recent rainfall caused substantial waterlogging in the area, worsening peak-hour traffic.
The road-widening activities from IOC petrol outlet towards the Trident Hotel, Medicover Hospital, and from Kohinoor to Sattva near the Raidurg Metro station were started in February, but are still incomplete even after five months, creating heavy jams for commuters. Commuters lamented that the congestion continued for nearly four hours in the morning and about five hours in the evening along this stretch.
Upset commuters hold the Hydraa and the CMC responsible for their troubles and charged the departments with not being prepared to manage monsoon-related problems.
In the same way, earth excavation for steel flyovers and underpass works in GHMC areas, along with the Uppal flyover work in MMC, has made already narrow roads worse by turning them into waterlogged stretches.
