Hyderabad: Goons hang out at playgrounds, create nuisance in Old City

Hyderabad: Playgrounds in most of the Old city have turned into an easy spot for anti-social elements and miscreants. Recently, youth habituated to vices were seen congregating at playgrounds. Activities like fighting, trespassing, drinking alcohol, smoking cigarettes and even consumption of ganja were observed by the locals.

Residents of HIG Colony at Santoshnagar phase-III said daily they have been dealing with people indulging in vices in the area. According to them, the colony was executed in 1995. The entire cost of the colony, including construction of houses, roads, electricity, waterworks, and parks was met by the allottees.

The parks, playground located within the colony, have been allotted for the benefit of dwellers. However, the playground, particularly located beside the Old Santoshnagar police station, is being used by persons from outside areas such as Edi Bazar, Baba Nager, Rein Bazar and other surrounding areas. They are found creating daily nuisance.

Venkat Reddy of the colony said for the last couple of years, the residents have been facing trouble by the miscreants in the playground during day and night. And, when residents forced them to leave they were targeted and faced damage to their bikes and cars.

Another resident, Ifteqar, who is general secretary of the colony association, said “The ground was turned into a hotspot for consuming liquor and even ganja. ‘Every morning several liquor bottles are observed. Several complaints have been lodged to the local police regarding the trouble, but nothing has been done.”

“Every alternate day nuisance can be seen. Groups sometimes are seen fighting, using filthy language and distributing the colony’s law and order,” he added.

Mohammed Muzammil, a resident, said persons are assembling and creating nuisance right from morning to nights with shouts disrupting the tranquility around the playground. Many times their activities were intimated to the police. “The menace created by persons may create law and order problems beyond expectation, as they are seen trespassing into houses in the name of searching for a ball and damaging and theft of essentials were also reported,” he added.

“I was targeted by a group of people recently, when asked to leave the ground. A complaint was also given to the I S Sadan police, but no action was taken,” he said.

Another resident, who does not want to be quoted, said “the ground is meant for children of the colony, as the range of ground is small. However, elders and other persons are playing and creating nuisance with their anti-social activities influenced by local leaders.”

Ifteqar said a representation was given to the GHMC zonal commissioner with a request to authorities to find the very location of the playground in midst of houses and being utilised by outsiders and take necessary

action.