Bandlaguda nala in spate; residents fear inundation

Bandlaguda: During each rainy season, the residents on the banks of Bandlaguda nala keep their fingers crossed as heavy rains bring its own misery with inundation of all areas of Ali Nagar, Tower Galli and parts of neighbouring localities. With the flow in nala touching maximum levels, even this year they are gearing up for the worst to happen. 

The lakes of Jahangirabad and Pallacheru, besides drains from Shastripuram and Vattepally also join this nala which passes through Ali Nagar in Bandlaguda in Rajendranagar constituency and Tower Galli in Hashmabad in Bahadurpura Constituency. This is an open nala with no boundary wall and residents of these localities have made some arrangements themselves to face the rainy season this year by constructing structures like wall near their residence in the month of June. With continuous rains in the city, the rising water levels may cross over the embankment and enter into residential areas even they feel. 

“Besides inundation of our houses, which remain for more than a week some times, this drain also pollutes our drinking water as water pipelines cross from below the nala, said Syed Jafer Ali, a resident of the Ali Nagar. While local leaders have alleged that even though the authorities were taking up developmental works like widening of nala, the concerned departments were not ready to compensate residents with the market value. “The construction of culvert which started about 4 months back was stopped since last 3 months by locals over issues related to land acquisition. The amount is also sanctioned last year for the construction of extra 3 ft sidewall of nala but the work is still pending by the contractor, says Md Sarwar, a local leader. 

Area corporator, Md Misbahuddin explained that the GHMC was not ready to give compensation based on the market value of the land because, almost all the residences in the area were unregistered and the only proof they had was ‘notary’ papers.  “The town planning department is not ready to compensate based on their land value but only ready to pay structural value by pointing out that they have only notary papers”, says Md Misbahuddin Corporator.

The same nala which is passing through Tower Galli in Hashmabad also inundates the locality. Every year during rainy season the scene of overflowing nala has become common.  “We residents suffers a lot by this nala as there will be more than 4 ft of water and it takes 7-8 days for the water to drain from the houses. Amongst other localities which inundates are Kabgeer Nagar and parts of Al-Jubail colony,” said Irfan Ahmed, residing there for last 18 years. 

Irfan said that the development of the nala was pending for the past 10 years. Even though amount was sanctioned for land acquisition, no work was started. The residents constructed sidewall of 3 ft by raising money from their own contributions. Ironically works of desilting was undertaken before monsoon by the GHMC officials, which was stock piled only to fall again in the nala after some days. “The delay of clearing the stock piled waste on road has caused it to fall again in the nala. This waste has only increased our problems as it is already chocking the drain. Hope that it would not be like the previous year. 

We suffered a lot as for more than 20 days we were in drain water,” he added. Faisal Khaja Project Assistant Engineer (AE) of culvert work in Ali Nagar says that the amount has been sanctioned and the work is started but the it has been stopped as  residents near nala as the Town planning department was giving only a structure amount but not the land value to the residents and the residents taken a stay from Court   due to this the work has been stopped. K.Jagram project assistant engineer (AE) of Culvert work in Tower Galli Hashmabad says that the work is stopped as the residents were taking structure amount cheques and were not allowing the works to proceed.

BY M M Farooqui