Strategic Nala Development Programme: Root cause of flooding in Hyderabad to be addressed

Hyderabad: The Municipal Administration and Urban Development Minister, KT Rama Rao, on Monday asked officials to take up a study on the nalas and take up a Strategic Nala Development Programme (SNDP) for the development of lakes in GHMC limits.

Speaking of the programme, the minister wanted the officials to have a new project wing in the corporation. The officials informed him that the main reason for flooding in the city was because of the shrinking of nalas and stormwater drains.

The minister then asked the officials to take up a study and identify the areas where the nalas were shrinking to carry out nalas expansion works by removing the encroachments thereby ensuring smooth flow of rainwater through the nalas. He directed the officials to include feeder nalas along with main ones in the SNDP drain development project.

For expediting the development projects, KTR directed officials to create a separate wing for SNDP. The minister said as the Strategic Road Development Project was giving good results, the government wants to use the same in Nala development.

He asked the officials to understand the difficult situation locally and find a solution by taking up reviews regularly and set right the things. Further, the minister said that Vasanta, who was heading the SRDP until recently, would be heading the SNDP.

He asked Vasanta to appoint a retired engineer as CEO for the SNDP and senior engineers from the irrigation department and coordinate with the Chief Engineer and Public Health Engineer for taking up works. The government would soon issue a GO regarding the SNDP.