Hyderabad: Open manholes, potholed roads pose threat to citizens in city

Hyderabad: A large number of open manholes and damaged slabs on roadside drains have become death traps for pedestrians and motorists.

Several city roads have become even more dangerous when it rains as they get inundated. The uncovered manholes become invisible and many pedestrians and commuters fall in them. Most manholes and drains along the city roads are lying uncovered, thereby endangering lives. The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) has ignored the issue despite two reported deaths of victims falling in open drains.

Many incidents have taken place in which commuters have suffered injuries because of the open manholes. Vehicles getting stuck in them have also become common. Whenever it rains, suburbanites and traders insert long sticks or branches of trees in open manholes to warn of danger. On September 30, 2021, a motorist fell close to an open drain escaping out of luck but got badly injured near Madina Masjid, in Hassan Nagar," said Mukarram Ali Khan who posted a video of the incident on the internet requesting GHMC to resolve the issue.

Residents say open manholes have become wells of death for citizens. A State minister promises better roads and claims they are developing roads in the city. On the other hand, the GHMC apathy to open manholes remains. Recently, a software employee (35) was killed when he fell in an open drain on September 25 in Manikonda. In another incident, a 54-year-old man fell in an open nala at Qutbullahpur after which a missing complaint was filed with the police.

On Friday two spots were identified where open drain was found in middle of a footpath at Dharam Karan Road in Ameerpet and the other at Uday Nagar, in Banjara Hills. A resident of Manikonda said, "Delay and negligence are causing deaths; it was about 9:15 pm when he fell in open drain. I usually make videos of water-logging. Suddenly a man came and fell in the drain. Works was started three months ago and was left incomplete and uncovered. On September 17, 2020, a man who lost his daughter in an open drain, said, "My daughter Sumeedha Kapuria died after falling in an open drain; no compensation; even after this incident a car fell in a nala; it was not reported; it is negligence of GHMC." City-based activist Kota Neelima said, "open drains are taking lives of pedestrians and motorists. During the recent rain two deaths were reported in last few days from falling in open drains in the city. This happens every year, but the GHMC adopts same careless attitude by the staff leaving drains and nalas uncovered which become death traps for people." A city-based online platform, Hakku Channel, is also running a campaign on social media urging authorities to #CloseDrainsSave Lives.