Residents on edge as nala works drag on

Serilingampally: Every rainy season, residents of several low-lying colonies in Chandanagar and Miyapur divisions spend restless nights for the fear of inundation. For the past few years, rainy season has been sending shudders through most people, as light rain is enough to inundate their colonies.

• Miyapur, Madinaguda and Deeptisri Nagar areas were inundated due to rains last year

• Nala works still not completed

Last year, Miyapur, Madinaguda and Deeptisri Nagar areas were inundated due to rains and cellars of several apartments in the area remained under water for several days, causing immense loss, as several cars and two-wheelers were damaged. This has become a regular affair every monsoon, as nalas in the affected areas got narrower due to encroachments.

The state government has promised to address the issue by widening the nalas, so as to prevent inundation of the low-lying colonies. However, considering the progress of nala widening works, it appears that the same fate awaits the residents of low-lying colonies.

Public representatives of the ruling party made promises to people that the nala widening works would be completed before the onset of monsoon season, but it appears that they have not put in serious efforts to ensure the completion of the works in time.

Nala widening works in Chandanagar Circle are proceeding at a very slow pace due the negligence of contractors, local representatives and authorities concerned who are supposed to monitor the progress of the works. The GHMC officials have planned to widen the nalas under Hafizpet, Miyapur and Gangaram tanks in the last rainy season.

The works are nowhere near completion, even as weather department predicts arrival of monsoon soon. While the local MLA and Corporators have been visiting the construction site regularly for the past two days and posing for photographs, the reality is that the works are far from completion. It appears that the residents may have to gear up to face the ugly situation they faced last year again.  

By U Viswanath