Rain-battered roads in Secunderabad Cantonment pose risk to commuters

Secunderabad: Failure to take up maintenance works ahead of monsoon has made the lives of road users in Secunderabad Cantonment Board (SCB) area miserable. All internal roads and some main roads are full of loose gravel posing grave risk to road users particularly two-wheeler drivers. As no desilting works were taken up, sewerage water is overflowing in many areas. Locals allege that the SCB has failed to repair roads before the monsoon. The roads not yet taken up of during the recent maintenance work are dotted with potholes, especially those in Marredpally, Trimulgherry, Karkhana, Vasavinagar and Bowenpally, have gone from bad to worse.

Said Venkata Ramana, a resident of SCB, "the SCB officials are not following any scientific method while filling potholes. Filling them with sand and stones as a temporary measure and persistent rain have led to erosion of bitumen layer."

Remarked T Satish Gupta, president, Vasavinagar Welfare Association, "due to recent rain roads are damaged; we are unable to use them. Whenever it rains the entire area is flooded with sewage. Due to that locals are facing problems of travelling because of the stench emanating from sewage. Once in every three months authorities should take up desilting work. It has been a year no official has turned up to clean the nala, due to which mosquito menace has increased. Many times, we have given written plea to the SCB, but no action has been taken. Monsoon season is already on, but the SCB has not taken up desilting.

Said T Anil, another resident of SCB, "It is a perennial problem. During every rainy season, this nala overflows and water enters houses. Authorities should take up desilting work and also repair roads so that it would provide relief to many residents."

A senior SCB engineer stated: "Due to rain we cannot take up re-carpeting works, but where there are potholes, we have covered them with sand. Later we will take up re-carpeting."