Garbage, parking rule citizens' wish-list

HYDERABAD: As the city inches closer to the civic polls in February , residents of Hyderabad chart out a list of pending concerns and fresh expectations that they have of the new municipal administration. On top of the list -for most Hyderabadis -is the worsening traffic situation that, they rue, has left mana sheher in a state of complete chaos. But if step ping out of home has become a task for many -courtesy the long-winding jams and absolute absence of parking space in almost all commercial complexes -the ugly sight of overflowing garbage bins and stinking pathways, has only made matters worse for these residents.Predictably, they all hope to find some respite from these menaces post the polls.
“There is also the serious issue of water crisis that has been plaguing our area for a long time,“ said Pooja Bansal, auditor of a private firm. The west Marredpally resident rued the lack of green spaces in her vicinity too, citing the example of a municipal park which, though developed a year ago, is still waiting to be opened to public.
“In fact, the twin city of Secunderabad has been completely ignored by the local administration over the past few years.While it was true of the previous regime as well, things have only got worse now -thanks to the ruling party's excessive focus on Hyderabad's IT corridor,“ said baker Rekha Shenoy , from Trimulgherry pointing to the narrow lanes in her area, which she claimed are no longer “fit to handle the rising vehicular traffic“.
While, in comparison, the roads running along `hi tech' Hyderabad are indeed wider, residents living in these areas insist that their concerns aren`t any different.
“Driving in the city has become a nightmarish experience. Even if some lanes are broad, they are in such abysmal condition that it isn't easy to traverse them.To to add to that is the heavy traffic congestion. I hope that the civic body concentrates on finding a solution to this problem as soon as possible,“ said Riya Sunny , a homemaker and resident of Madhapur. And while for a visitor, this part of town might seem covered in swank offices and plush retail stores, garbage continues to be major concern for its inhabitants.
“Garbage trucks employed by the civic body are insufficient. Garbage collection must be made more frequent so that waste material does not pile up. GHMC must undertake a massive drive to install more dustbins and also educate people, especially street-side vendors, about the importance of proper waste disposal,“ IT professional from Gachibowli, Harshit Jain, highlighted.
At a distance away , residents of the Old City , while echoing all the above problems, also add two very critical inadequacies that they hope will be rectified post the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation elections on February 2: clean drinking water and sufficient power supply . Clearly, IT and panchayat raj minister K T Rama Rao's claims about the TRS government being the first party to have provided uninterrupted power supply during the summer of 2015, hasn't managed to amuse this lot of residents. “A power sub-station was set up in Aliabadaround two years ago, but only recently it has become partially operational. There is a need fro more such sub-stations as the Old City is reeling under severe power deficit,“ Mohd Amair Khan, resident of Karwan.
Frequent flooding of lowlying areas and mixing of drinking water with sewerage are also issues among a vast section of residents living in areas that they feel are faced with a “higher degree of neglect“ these days.Together with calling for better sanitation facilities they, therefore, appeal to local authorities to focus on strengthening the infrastructure of these areas as well.
“Sanitation workers often come only once in three or four days to clean the roads.
Waste is burnt in the open by corporation staffers that result in danger ous fumes entering our homes. Fumigation is never carried out unless a few complaints are registered,“ lamented Sohanlal Kadel, a resident of Hussaini Alam. The owner of an insurance company further rued the stray dog menace, which he said “has gone out of hand now“. He clearly has an exhaustive `to-do' list for the new civic administration.
So does Abhijeet Matthew, a merchant navy of ficer and resident of A S Rao Nagar, which has only recently found its way into the GHMC limits.
“Since our area was recently brought under the GHMC limits, most of our issues haven't been addressed so far. The roads are dug up without prior warning and often newly-laid roads are also dug up ­ for no rhyme or reason. It is ridiculous how rampant this practice is. The residents of an area must be informed of such projects beforehand,“ said Matthew.
But while the residents' demands are loud and clear, not many are confident of things changing too much, post the polls. “Each time, it is only before the elections that the civic body is seen doing some actual work. After the elections, it always goes back to operating the way it used to. I hope that things change at least this time.I urge the body to roll out sustainable initiatives and schemes, and ensure that their progress is mapped even after the elections are done with,“ said Sunil Reddy , an accountant and resident of Banjara Hills.
Is someone listening?