No relief for locals as rains turn dug-up roads into pools

HYDERABAD: Commuting woes are back to haunt the city. Potholes with yawning gaps greet residents when they step out of their houses and it is bumpy ride most of the way on the main roads. While, the recent downpour has been blamed for bad roads, residents say dug-up and pothole-ridden roads are the primary problem and the rains only made the situation worse.
Bad roads are spotted at Botanical Gardens, Kondapur, Care Hoapital road, Gachibowli, RTC Cross Roads, Hyderguda, Indira Park, Nampally, Chirag Ali Lane, Abids and Rajanna Bowli at Faluknama road.
The road near Botanical Gardens in Gachibowli has been in a bad shape from last two months. The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) had undertaken road widening work in the area, but did not do a good job. The newly-laid roads have been eroded causing inconvenience to the commuters.
“The ride on this stretch is rough and bumpy. Whenever the wind blows, the dust from the eroded road results in poor visibility. The authorities should repair the stretch immediately, as the dust might result in airborne diseases, especially for motorists commuting on this stretch frequently,” said Ritesh Kothari, a techie.
In Chirag Ali Lane, Abids, the shop owners have put wooden planks for customers to cross over the stagnant sewage water outside their shops.
The shopkeepers said their business is getting affected and they suffer huge losses during monsoon. “Customers cannot wade through waterlogged streets to visit our store. During monsoon, we suffer huge losses. As the rains are just a month away, the authorities should repair this lane,” said a mobile store owner in Chirag Ali Lane.
In Old City, residents of Renuka Colony in Rajanna Bowli at Faluknama road have been suffering for years due to pathetic condition of the roads. “The road is riddled with potholes. It was dug up for laying pipes for connecting sewage lines to households, but were not repaired after completing the work. Even light showers lead to water stagnation on this stretch,” said Ram Sundar Lal, a resident of Renuka Colony.