Hyderabad: No end in sight to flood woes of Shaikpet, Madhapur, Film Nagar

Hyderabad : There appears to be no solution to the annual flooding of areas in western part of the city including colonies like Shaikpet, Madhapur, Manikonda, Gachibowli, Nanakramguda, Film Nagar and other nearby localities which have been causing nightmare for the residents.

Despite repeated appeals, the authorities have not taken any serious works which could mitigate the problem. Residents told Hans India that though some minor works were taken up spending crores of rupees, the municipal authorities could not prevent flooding of these areas.

Especially residents in the low-lying areas say that while in the past rains during monsoon used to play havoc, this year unseasonal but as heavy rains as monsoon is making their life miserable. Water logging, disruption of traffic has become a routine affair. With monsoon just little over a month, they shudder to think about the situation they will have to face. Basements of apartments get inundated and vehicles get submerged in water on the roads, said Naveen Kumar, a resident of Manikonda. With the rainwater entering homes, the household items get damaged.

The residents of slums areas pointed out that the unplanned construction activity is the main culprit. The construction activity of big projects and palatial buildings without proper planning for drainage facilities and storm water outlets, water logging would be up to knee-level say about three feet. Along with rainwater, dirty water also gushes out of manholes and drainage systems leading to health problems said Patnaik, a resident of Madhapur. He recalled an incident where a 35-year-old man died after falling in a flooded open-drain during heavy rain in Manikonda in 2021.

Md Roshan, a resident of Filmnagar said he was traveling home from Filmnagar to Tolichowki on Saturday and found himself in a pool of drainage water. Such incidents expose the failure of the administration. No one cares about the lives of the citizen’s” he added.

Moreover, during downpour almost all major nalas would overflow with rainwater and overflooding across localities with dirty water gushing out of manholes.

He said wherever the public representatives do not solve such serious issues, the best way out is to choose NOTA in the upcoming election,” said Asif Hussain, a social activist. He said he would campaign for such a measure.