Much before Chennai, Hyderabad was rudely awakened to urban flooding during the deluge of August 2000. Sixteen years later, little has changed as all the grand plans of improving the storm water drains (‘nalas’) for better drainage over the years have come unstuck as was evident on Wednesday.
Municipal Minister K. T. Rama Rao remarked that about Rs.10, 000 crore was needed to repair storm water drains and offered to look at the issue afresh. He is not way off the mark because the last time estimates were made to widen the drains, cement them, remove encroachments and rehabilitate the affected persons, the bill was Rs.6,246 crore, including sewage integration.
Official apathy
But, since then, despite inundation every year, the progress of works has been tardy thanks to official apathy. “Storm water drains has never been top priority for Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) and, without the necessary push from top officials, such arduous tasks cannot be taken up or completed,” avers a senior municipal official, pleading anonymity.
Two agencies – Kirloskar (smaller scale) and Voyants, on a larger canvas, have undertaken extensive surveys of the primary, secondary and tertiary storm water drains. Exhaustive reports were submitted giving graphic details and recommendations on the overhaul.
While figures keep varying, drains traverse close to 700 km and encroachments are 13,500. Widening and encroachment removal was taken up on primary drains – Murki nala, Kukatpally and Balkapur nalas; secondary drains - Yellareddyguda, Banjara Hills, Yousufguda, Kalasiguda, Nagamaiahkunta, Erramanzil, Dandu Mansion, Gandhinagar, Indira Park, Musheerabad and Picket.
The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation received Rs. 266 crore under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) and work was done to an extent of 40 km of the targeted 80 km, spending Rs. 100 crore, and 500-odd encroachments were removed. It was more than two years ago and since then even the dedicated engineering teams have been dismantled.
Master plan
“We have master plan for 16 hydraulic zones of the city, designs are ready and we have funds. What is lacking is official will,” senior officials insist. Unless independent divisions with separate engineers, and land acquisition and town planning officers are allocated for the task, it is not possible to complete the project,” they said.
