KHAMMAM: During the ongoing monsoon season, residents of Khammam, Kothagudem, Palvoncha and Bhadrachalam are concerned about the potential submergence of their areas due to lack of proper drainage systems. These towns, where some areas are usually submerged even with light rains, are at even greater risk during regular downpours.
Several low-lying areas and main roads in Khammam town are already inundated with rainwater, causing inconvenience for residents.
K Rama Rao, a senior citizen of Khammam, lamented, “The municipal corporation has failed to enforce fines against those who dump garbage in open drains. Hospitals, shop owners, and commercial complexes are dumping tonnes of garbage daily, obstructing the drainage flow,” he said and added, ”Khammam suffers from the absence of an underground drainage system.”
During heavy rains, Wyra road, heart of Khammam, experiences water levels rising two to three feet high, often flooding Mayuri centre. These blockages cause heavy traffic jams.
Danavaigudem, Bokkalagadda, Saradhinagar, Vinoda theatre, Padmanabhanagar and Venkateswarnagar, and several other areas in Khammam regularly face inundation.
Despite appeals from residents, government responses to construct an underground drainage system remained unfulfilled. During elections, political parties promise to address this issue with slogans for ‘underground drainage’, but once elected, nothing is being done. Kothagudem, Palvoncha, and Bhadrachalam share the same plight, lacking adequate underground drainage systems.