Hyderabad: Activists root for Nizam's era drainage system in city

Charminar: The century-old storm water drain system of the Nizam era laid in Old City has proven to be much better than the modern drainage system as it kept the southern part of the city dry. Following which the heritage activists urged the government to lay a similar drain system across the city.

During the rains last year in October, several areas parts of the new city were inundated, while the oldest areas in the southern part of the city stood dry. The system was constructed by the Nizam VI, Nawab Mir Mahboob Ali Khan stood dry, including Charminar, Moghalpura, Shalibanda, Khilwat, Purani Haveli, Fateh Darwaza, Hussaini Alam, Doodh Bowli, Kotla Alijah, Panch Mohalla, Pathergatti, Panjeshah, Qazipura, Afzal Gunj, Jumerat Bazar and several colonies of Golconda.

Hyderabad lost 33 lives, nearly 40,000 families got badly impacted and suffered a property loss of crores of rupees due to rains in October last year. Where most of the colonies in the city have been inundated in storm water for several days, the army was assigned and boats were used to rescue the people from houses.

"The Nizam system worked to keep the Old city safe from storm water stagnation and ironically the system is still working despite an increase in population. The stormwater flows within an hour after heavy and nonstop rains and rainwater which entered in the colonies and homes only in the area which was made a few decades back in the 1970s," said Mohammed Habeebuddin, heritage activist.

Each year, the monsoon action plan initiated by the civic body includes desilting of sewers and nalas, demolition drive of dilapidated structures and some other few works, the government and city planners must take steps to recapture the earlier stormwater system in the city to prevent from floods," he added.

Back then after the erstwhile Deccan was hit in 1908, sixth Nizam requested its engineers to prepare a flood protection system even for the future. This was further developed by the last Nizam.

Then huge open nalas and massive drainage systems to prevent floods are encroached. "Still in the Old city, there is a huge stormwater drain system. It was made by massive rocks and at least 6-feet underground, the reason some areas never get flooded in rains," he pointed.

Now with modern techniques, the city engineers have to prevent the city from flooding, as several areas in the city started flooding in an hour's rain and the water would be inundated in water at least 4-5 feet for hours.