HYDERABAD: In the heart of Film Nagar is a colony that has almost drowned in its drains. Yes, as shocking as it sounds, PJR Nagar, the largest ward in Khairatabad, has an open drainage that crisscrosses several lanes in the colony. The poor drainage infrastructure is turning the locality into a ghost colony as more and more people have been forced to move out.
Drainage pipelines from the upstream of Film Nagar pass through a nala in the locality. For decades, many houses have been sitting cheek by jowl with the nala. All this time, these residents have been living of fear that they would fall into the unfenced nala while walking. “The works on the nala have been pending for a year now,” claims a resident L Haritha.
“The open nala water is flowing through our houses, during monsoon season the nala water overflows and sewage water enters into the houses and streets. We fear that our walls will collapse due to the water passing by our homes.” It may be mentioned here that the open nala culvert bridge connects a road between PJR Nagar & Ambedkar Nagar.
Residents located right beside the nala have been asking for many years to construct a retaining wall and culvert bridge to save them during rains. Multiple representations made to the civic body and Khairatabad MLA were neglected. Sunil Kumar, another resident anguished that he cannot even stand outside his home. “The evenings get tough due to mosquito menace and the unbearable stench has made our lives miserable. Some of the people, even house owners, have vacated to stay in rental houses.”
Meanwhile, V Hare Ram, Deputy Executive Engineer of GHMC, Shaikpet division, admitted to the open nala flowing in the middle of the houses. “When it rains, water overflows into streets and houses. We have already asked authorities to sanction `49 lakh to construct a retaining wall and a culvert. The zonal commissioner has also inspected the place and once the proposals are sanctioned, constructions would begin,” he said.
Dengue outbreak in Karimnagar
There is a substantial rise in reported cases of dengue and Chikungunya in the erstwhile Karimnagar district. The district government civil hospital, already up to the neck with patients, is struggling to accommodate the ever-rising number by arranging folded beds at the portico. Speaking to Express, Government Civil Hospital superintendent Dr D Ajay Kumar stated that people staying in rural and slum areas seem to be more susceptible to these diseases. 94 cases of dengue, 49 of chikungunya have been reported in the district
Houses in PJR Nagar seen marooned in sewage and waste water. Residents say they do not even have a clean, dry path to cross the road
Due to lack of fencing, sewage flows right up to entrance of houses. Residents are worried that someone might fall into drain | S Senbagapandian