There's nothing Smart about Karimnagar city

Karimnagar: Even as years passed by since Karimnagar Municipal Corporation (KMC) has been formed, the city is lagging behind in development. Mainly the city's internal roads and drainages are in bad shape causing inconvenience to residents. It is alleged that the contractors are not maintaining quality standards in laying concrete roads in different municipal divisions.

In addition to that there is a lack of coordination among the authorities concerned and hence the development works have been going on for years. Wrong decisions by municipal officials and the contractor's negligent attitude are troubling the citizens. Though the Smart City works have to be executed with high quality standards and poor workmanship is the mark of the Smart City works, as evidenced by the sunken footpaths laid in the city. For example, the cement road was laid without planning drainages on either side of the main road leading to Sitarampur via SRR College, as well as the power transformers and the poles adjoining the road are not removed.

Nonetheless, the local minister, mayor and municipal officials overlooked the area which is constantly crowded as many shops and malls are located in that area. Cement roads and drainages, which have been completed with poor workmanship, have been in a state of disrepair for a long time.

The residents in the villages, which have been merged into the Corporation, are questioning the municipal officials as to why the municipal drinking water works in the villages have not been carried out till date. Sanitation workers are also in short supply due to the shortage of sanitation workers to cater to the needs of three lakh people in the city. Streets are stinking spreading vector diseases. Many are urging the vigilance wing to take action against erring contractors to save public money.

13th division corporator Choppari Jayashree told The Hans India that the problems in her division are not being addressed. Roads and drainage problems in Ramachandrapur Colony are very severe.

There is no drainage planned up to 100 metres on the Smart City road. Many drains laid in the past in the division have almost collapsed due to poor quality and their repairs have not even started, she complained.

There are a lot of problems in divisions 32, 1, 10, 13, 15 and 57. Due to lack of drainage system, water stagnation is taking place causing seasonal diseases, said 32nd division corporator Mathru Bhavana.