Real issues take backseat in Old City

Charminar: With the Parliamentary elections just a couple of days to go, the political parties in poll fray appear to be talking about everything but development. The two main political parties MIM and Congress appear to be interested beyond local aspirations, which include better amenities and the development on par with other places in the city. Ever since the poll bugle was blown, these parities instead of speaking about development appeared to pull each other's legs and resorting to mudslinging in public meetings.

While the Congress party campaigners canvassing in parts of Old City are only speaking about 'Old City to Gold City' transformation, without highlighting more specifics about the vision for next five years. The campaigners from MIM appear to say anything beyond reason, one of them reportedly made statement about making gas from the nalas of old city, which can be used for cooking purposes and also making a 'tea', a reference to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This did not augur well with the social activists of the area, who alleged that the political party at the helm was nothing but 'speed breaker' for development in the area.

"The candidate who claims to make the 'old city as a gold city' is not aware of how the old city locals live and the problems faced by them. To make old city as a golden city, the candidate has to visit the slums in old city. Should also undertake inspection over the pending works and unresolved promises by the party at the helm of affairs", said Abdul Rahman, Social Activist.

He noted that slums under Yakutpura, Charminar, Bahadurpura, Chandrayangutta and Karwan constituencies the amenities were poor and substandard. "There are no good roads, localities are with open nalas, which sometime contaminate drinking water and many civic issues are pending. For any civic works the residents have to give regular complaints to the officials, but the lackadaisical attitude prompts locals to approach a local leader who holds sway in the area, who has sanction over issues of development," he added.

He also said that in Chandrayangutta constituency locals of Shaheen Nagar protested against the political parties in poll fray and raised slogans like 'no water, no vote', as there is still no supply of drinking water and no drainage lane across area.

Mohammed Mujeeb, a resident of Yakutpura said that the locals are now used to live without clean roads, contaminated water for drinking, drain leakages, open nala. "The parties just hold paidaldaura only at the time of elections and no Corporator, MLA or MP ever visited the area when there was a need. Rather than focusing on the quality of life in the area, they are indulging in allegations and counter allegations on each other," he said.

Speaking about the Karwan constituency, Osman Bin Mohammed Alhajri said, "Every civic issue is pending in slums of Karwan constituency. The main important issue of the areas in Karwan is breeding mosquitoes. There are many water bodies in Karwan which has become house of mosquitoes and many residents are suffering from diseases. Crores of amount is sanctioned for the cleanliness for the water bodies but none of the water body is clean and the locals of the area suffers a lot by this," he added.

Apart from breeding mosquitoes, the slum areas have bad roads, contaminated water, drain leakage and many other issues. Even after regular complaints the officials never completed any work of development. For so many years nothing has been developed in old city slums, said Osman.