The inundated ground floor of a government hostel for Lambada students in Kodandaramnagar near Dilsukhnagar has left over 500 students with no water or food for the last couple of days. Though they are served food by local philanthropists at the nearby community centre, now they face the task of travelling over a kilometre and a half for bathrooms.
The 45-year-old dilapidated hostel structure does not provide a mess for the students. Since, there has been regular power cuts in the locality for the last two days, students say they have not been able to cook food. Their problems do not end there. “We have water all around but no water to drink or use for toilets. The toilets on the ground floor also cannot be used now. We are forced to travel around 1.5 km to Dilsukhnagar bus stand and use the public toilets,” lamented Amanth Bhaskar from Mahabubnagar, a first-year B.Tech student of Avanti College.
The hostel houses Intermediate, B.Tech, degree and PG students who go to different colleges in the city. “We have not been able to go to college for three days. Since the ground floor is flooded, most of the students there have gone home already. Water is leaking from the ceiling too. Also, what is the point of staying in here when you do not have anything?” asked Ravinder Naik, a second-year MBA student from Mahbubnagar.
With water all around the locality, they do not walk near the bamboo sticks which stuck on roads. In fact, that is the identity given to the manholes. They stay outside on the balcony most of the time and keep directing people on the streets. “For three days, we have nothing much to do here. We are sitting and chatting around with others while many have already left. Fortunately, now we are promised food at a nearby community centre by the area corporator,” said Ratlawat Shankar Naik, a degree final-year student.
Explaining the situation, Kodandaram Nagar Welfare Association president Venkateswara Rao, said that around 500 families and 5,000 people have been affected around P&T colony, Kodandaram Nagar, Kamalanagar, Chaitanyapuri and VV Nagar in Dilsukhnagar. “There is a 12-foot-wide underground storm water drain beneath the street and imagine that is still not enough to drain away the water here,” he said describing the enormity of the problem.
According to him, new colonies in Balapur, Meerpet, Jillelaguda and Lenin Nagar ave led to shrinking of lakes over there which leads to flow of excess water to the Saroornagar lake and inundation of the low- lying areas of Dilsukhnagar. “This is the third time water has ever gushed in so much. Four years ago it was equally bad but the present one may turn the worst ever,” said Rao.
Venu Madhav of Satya Sai Seva Organisation, who was extending help to the affected people, said, “We urge the GHMC to redesign the nalas so that we could prevent worst disasters.”
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