Fresh pipeline works add to risk of more roads caving in

HYDERABAD: With Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWS&SB) proposing to cut roads on a massive scale for laying 2,700 km water supply distribution pipelines, there are possibilities of more road caving in incidents in peripheral circles of Greater Hyderabad in the coming seven to eight months.

If no proper monitoring is taken up by the private contractors of HMWS&SB, incidents of sinking roads may reoccur in 10 GHMC peripheral circles where HMWS&SB would lay the pipelines.
On Saturday, a portion of a road in Safilguda dug up to lay a water pipeline caved in where two motorcycles fell right into it. The sinking of road portions in twin cities are increasing where there are leakages in water and sewerage pipelines posing threat to lives of citizens and motorists in particular.
The Water Board under Housing and Urban Development Corporation Limited (HUDCO) Aided Water Supply Improvement and Distribution Network would strengthen the distribution system by laying the 2,700 km pipeline costing `1,900 crore. The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) had given road cutting permissions for laying 250 mm dia and above pipelines. With GHMC directing the HMWS&SB to complete the pipeline laying works on a war footing basis before May 2017, there are possibilities of private contractor resorting to shoddy work.  

Hyderabad roads have turned from bad to worse in recent times. In September this year, the road along NTR Marg near Secretariat collapsed suddenly due incessant rains resulting in the damage to the trunk sewer line. Similar incidents took place earlier in Punjagutta and King Koti. The Panjagutta Road near NIMS hospital, one of the major important junctions in the city, was closed for three days after it caved in a few years ago.