Hyderabad: Illegal blockades put up by colony bodies

Hyderabad: Residents of several colonies in the city have been blocking public roads ever since the lockdown has been announced. Six weeks have passed and though a few areas are designated as green zones, some colony residents are still blocking roads. For instance, residents of Sainikpuri and Vayupuri Colony are a case in point.

C S Chandrashekar, president of Saibaba Officers Colony, says, "These roads are thoroughfares connecting several adjoining colonies in the NE region of city and providing access to the main roads. Sainikpuri and Vayupuri Colonies are not private gated communities and the internal roads are public roads maintained by GHMC at taxpayers cost. They need to be opened."

Public roads cannot be closed or blocked by a certain colony residents at their will or whim, unless there is specific order issued by the competent authority in the government after following the due process of law and citing valid reasons for such closure, said S Anoop Kumar, a resident.

Anoop said the lane adjacent to Canara Bank, 2nd arterial road, the entry point into Sainikpuri and the entry to Road No 4 near 5th Avenue Bakery are blocked. Similar is the case in other parts of the city.

The residents of RTC Colony in LB Nagar too have blocked the road by placing logs and wires. Mohan Krishna, a resident of L B Nagar said, "In an emergency, it becomes difficult. The GHMC and the police department need to intervene."