Hyderabad: Contractors seek GHMC funds to complete unfinished nala work

Hyderabad: Residents in low-lying areas and living close to the lakes and nalas are having sleepless nights as they are worried that the nalas close to their area can overflow as floodwater has been released from Gandipet and Himayatsagar reservoirs. This may leave the area completely inundated.

Every year, with the onset of monsoon, the State government gears up and spent thousands of crores to address the flood problems that have plagued the State.

But citizens allege that the GHMC is unable to come out with a permanent solution for water-logging problem.

Earlier, the GHMC and the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) have taken up beautification work of several lakes in the city. It did benefit the environment for a certain period, but during the monsoon, the lakes get breached causing inundation in all nearby localities.

For modernisation of ponds remodeling, widening and de-silting of nalas and lanes were taken up, but no work has been completed.

Speaking to The Hans India, a social activist Mohd Minhaj said that the GHMC does not have timely funding. As a result the monsoon action plan completely failed. "The government spends crores every year in the name of widening nalas and the strategic canal development, but nothing is done. As usual this year also nalas were not repaired and no de-silting work was taken up resulting in floods," he lamented.

Not just citizens, even contractors, who are working on development sites, alleged that, despite filing bills, they are not receiving the amount/funds, hence works remain incomplete.

In the last seven years, the government has prepared proposals for Rs 1,000 crores worth of development work, but sources said that the civic body is still relying on funds received earlier. According to sources, Rs 500 crore has been released by the government and spent in seven years.

M Srinivas, secretary of CPI (M), said that even the funds that were due are not yet released. "Non-compliance is another reason for the delay in proposals, allocations and release funds," he added.

He accused the government for not allocating and releasing enough funds for city development works. He shared that in the last seven years the government only released Rs 365.63 crore for various works, as against Rs 1,992.96 crore allocated by the government itself.

As funds released so far for the strategic nala development work have not been completed, he demanded that the government to allocate enough budget and release it for a permanent solution and to prevent floods in city.

However, this year the corporation announced its monsoon action plan with an expenditure of Rs 32.96 crore. It has taken up 38 works for improvement of storm water drainage system (SWS), development of surplus lakes, water bodies, and tanks under the Strategic Nala Development Programme (SNDP).