Yeh Humara Shehar: Karkhana

Karkhana is a suburb located abutting Rajiv Gandhi Rahadari in the Secunderabad Cantonment Board (SCB) area. It is one of the major commercial centres in the city. The prominent localities are Gunrock Colony, P&T Colony, Asbestos Colony, Janakpuri Colony, Avanthi Colony, AP Textbook Colony and Karkhana Basthi.

The major landmarks are Sri Mahankali Temple, Laalasha Dargah, Eidgah, White Rose Hotel, Karkhana Police Station and varied shopping malls and complexes. The neighbourhood areas are Kakaguda, Jubilee Bus Station, Thirmulgherry and Sikh Village.

TSRTC buses are available to all parts of the city. It is 1 km to JBS, 3 km to Secunderabad Railway Station and 35 km to the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport.

History

According to locals, the area was used for sheltering animals like camels, horses and elephants, which were used by the British Army during their camping at Thirmulgherry. Owing to the large number of camels taking shelter, the place came to be called as ‘Oonton ki Karkhana’ and is now popularly known as Karkhana.

Former vice-president and ward member of SCB, Nawab Mehamood Khan (90) former vice president said, “During the 1950s, it was a jungle with agricultural fields, conventional wells and kuntas. People were scared to live here due to fear of wild animals and camping of the British Army. There was no transport, except bullock carts. People used to walk for miles together to attend to their needs. Tongas and rickshaws came into existence since 1950. There were only one or two buses run by Nizam Railways, who are holding the road transport department.”

Problems

According to locals, there is heavy traffic congestion daily near the Alfata hotel junction leading to number of accidents. Footpath encroachments are rampant causing inconvenience to pedestrians, who are forced to walk on the roads and are met with accidents, which are fatal in some cases.

There is no proper underground drainage system; drinking water supply is twice a week for just an hour. The basthi people are always fighting for getting drinking water. There are no bus stand shelters and public urinals provided. There is an immediate need to widen the main roads and by lanes and remove the illegal encroachments on the footpaths.

Some locals on the condition of anonymity,said,SCB removed unauthorized structures on the road in Karkhana area near police station & towards Eidgah road & laid pucca BT& CC road.There is a need to relocate the electric transformer which is standing in the middle of the road to elsewhere to prevent accidents & to provide freeway.

They also appeal SCB to remove the footpath encroachments in Alfata lane and other by lanes to ensure hassle free traffic movement to large number of road users who proceed to AOC ( Kirkee Gate ) to reach Safilguda, Neeredmet, Sainkpuri and other far off peripheral areas.

By:Ch Saibaba