Hyderabad bastis neglected

Many bastis around the city are being neglected in the course of development. While overflowing sewerage water due to witless and old sewerage connections lie as a major problem during the monsoon, few areas do not receive proper current supply. In addition to this, broken roads make it difficult for the people to commute without lights during evenings.

While the government fails to maintain the roads in the city, roads of various bastis in areas like Banjara Hills, Hasmathpet, Jeedimetla, Uppal, etc. are completely neglected once laid. Low lying areas in the bastis submerge in overflowing sewerage water from the surrounding areas during heavy rainfall. Irregular power supply also stands as an issue due to regularly occurring repairs for the old electric poles.

Shyamala, a local resident of Harijan Basti in Hasmatpet narrates her issues of living in the basti. “There is no power in the streets for the past few days. The streets are dark during the night. Overflowing sewerage water accumulates into our houses as this is the lowest point in the basti. It stinks throughout the day”.

She further added that the electric wires hang on the roads, as there are not enough electric poles, and the existing ones are getting old and bending. She also mentioned that the area Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) had visited a number of times assuring reforms but yet, the area suffers in darkness.

More such bastis are from Bharatnagar colony and Chilkanagar in Uppal, where overflowing sewerage water is a major issue along with bad roads. Brij Kishore, a resident of Bharatnagar colony says, “Roads in the colony were laid some 4-5 years ago.

No maintenance has been going on since then. Though there is a way for the sewerage water to enter the drainage, they are trapped in potholes and accumulate in low lying areas raising stink.”

By Sasidhar Kocharlakota