HYDERABAD: The slow pace of desilting works by small contractors at the division level has been resulting in inundation of low-lying areas during monsoon. To overcome this problem, the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) has decided to take up the desilting of nalas and stormwater drains (SWDs) in packages in all 30 circles.
These works are being carried out on the lines of the Comprehensive Road Maintenance Programme (CRMP) under which works related to road repairs, maintenance and recarpeting of major roads were entrusted to private agencies.
Similarly, the GHMC has entrusted the work of the desilting of nalas and storm water drain works to private agencies in packages at circle level. The agencies will take the entire responsibility of cleaning the SWDs and nalas and cart out all the silt to the Jawaharnagar dumping yard.
In 2022, the civic body identified more than 375 desilting works in 150 divisions. This year, it divided these works into 56 packages, covering all the 30 circles. The whole project will cost Rs 53.59 crore.
The GHMC officials said that in the past, the desilting works were divided into small ones and tenders were floated for hundreds of such works. However, several small contractors failed to carry out the work properly.
After removing the silt from the SWDs, they used to dump it on the roads and later, it used to enter nalas, an official said.Also, some MLAs suggested that GHMC take up desilting works in packages at circle level and to select big agencies to complete the works.
Good response
The GHMC has floated tenders for 56 packages, except Charminar zone. The response for five zones -- LB Nagar (5), Khairatabad (6), Serilingampally (5), Kukatpally (5) and Secunderabad (6) was good. “Works have already been allotted in these zones. However, response to 29 packages in Charminar zone was lukewarm in two or three circles. Fresh tenders have been floated in this regard,” the official informed.
The Charminar zone has many small and medium SWDs and nalas with many dingy lanes and bylanes and this zone is divided into 29 packages with many of them being in Chandrayangutta circle.The GHMC officials are hopeful that all the works would be completed before the onset of monsoon season.