Believe it or not. There was a dust storm on most of the city roads that have been ravaged by heavy rains during the last 15 days. If it was not in literal terms, the storm was there for all practical purposes and one, particularly motorists, who used those roads on Monday afternoon can’t deny it. Dust covered the roads like a thick sheet of fog as the vehicles traversed on them manoeuvring the huge potholes and rough patches created by washing away of bitumen layer, thanks to the nature’s fury and poor quality road laying. Visibility was dropped to a few metres itself as the dust rose into the air after the clouds, which covered the sun for the past few days, gave way for the sun to peep into the city after a break! Alas, there were no complaints to the officials concerned since the citizens of the “global city in the making” have become accustomed to such conditions, particularly during the past few weeks.
Not on the agenda
Inadequacy of the storm water drains came out quite forcefully in the last fortnight or so and quite tellingly at that. Previous administrations have been blamed for allowing encroachments on the drains and doing nothing to repair them and another argument is that the government also cannot be blamed if constructions are made on lake beds brazenly.
But, it is also a fact that the issue was not even on the agenda of the powers that be in the last couple of years either for the Government or the municipal corporation. All the while the debate has been about Strategic Road Development Project (SRDP) and much noise about taking over the walkway of the KBR Park for building a grade separators or flyover, one among many proposed at key junctions at an enormous cost.
‘Seizing’ the opportunity
Hyderabadis know best to make merry even under adverse conditions. As the city was reeling under heavy rains, it was widely publicised through news channels and social media that water levels in Hussainsagar were rising rapidly and the government was evacuating residents of low-lying areas. Guess what happened next? A large number of people descended on Tank Bund. Some stared at the brimming waters in awe while others clicked selfies. It did not stop there.
As soon as the news of a crater forming on NTR marg went viral, some curious citizens landed there within no time. Not surprisingly, they happily took videos and selfies. Not everyone suffered due to the heavy downpour, after all.
Encroachments
& regularisation
The Chief Minister K.Chandrasekhar Rao opened a hornet’s nest by announcing recently that the illegal structures on nalas and lakes will be demolished to avoid future inundations.
Leave aside the inappropriateness of creating another wave of panic among people who were already under severe stress owing to inundation of their respective localities, the Chief Minister seems to have ignored the fact that many of the roads and government structures too are built on lakes.
The Gowliguda bus depot itself is built in reclaimed land from Musi river, while Necklace Road with all its fancy recreation spots, NTR Marg, and the multiplex theatre on the other side, are all in encroachment of the lake space.
Besides, how can the government have any right to demolish the encroachments, after earning crores of rupees through repeated regularisation of illegal properties?
B. Chandrashekhar, V. Geetanath, Rahul Devulapalli, Swathi Vadlamudi
