Hyderabad: Motorists fume at GHMC as dug-up roads dot Old City

Hyderabad: For the last few months, the commuters, especially from the southern part of the city, are finding it difficult to travel on roads with most of them being dug-up and left incomplete after civic works. Skidding of two-wheelers due to uneven roads has become a disturbing experience for motorists. Further, due to the pathetic condition of roads, the traffic moves at a snail's pace during peak hours on all major roads.

The road-widening and restoration works by Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board and Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation has left the surfaces of many roads damaged giving rise to bumps causing great inconvenience to commuters.

Several areas in the Old City such as Edi Bazar, Talabkatta, Moghalpura, Shalibanda, Himmatpura, Fateh Darwaza, Kishanbagh, Kalapather, Shamsheergunj, Hussainialam and others have bad and uneven roads. "Many properties were demolished for road-widening last year. However, the officials concerned failed to clear the debris and start the road works. This is leading to accidents on the stretch. On Thursday, due to uneven road from Shalibanda to Himmatpura, a two-wheeler skid and a woman got injured. She was shifted to a nearby hospital for treatment," informed Mohammed Ahmed, vice-president of TDP Minority Cell.

The roads from Edi Bazar to Moghalpura, HariBowli to Darulshifa, Falaknuma to Lal Darwaza and Bahadurpura to Kishanbagh are severely damaged. Further, denizens who saw the patches of roads which were laid recently stated that they were in bad condition indicating their poor quality. Roads on several busy stretches, including Charminar, Lal Darwaza, Purani Haveli, Falaknuma, Yakutpura, Tadban and other areas continue to remain in bad shape.

Sai Praveen, a commuter from Lal Darwaza said, "Earlier this year, the civic body laid a road on busy stretch at Lal Darwaza. However, it dug up the road a few months ago to carry out some civic works. Since then, the road remains neglected forcing the commuters to have a bumpy ride." As the roads are in the worst condition, the residents and commuters demand the GHMC to fill the potholes and re-carpet them. "The roads in our area are giving nightmares to commuters. The civic body should at least now make the repairs and fill potholes so that people can travel safely," said Kareem, a resident of Kishanbagh.