HYDERABAD: Incessant rains in the past week have exposed the poor quality of the roads laid by the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) as well as the private agencies under the Comprehensive Road Maintenance Programme (CRMP). The roads at several important stretches and internal roads were severely damaged, causing inconvenience to the commuters.
The Telangana High Court recently took cognisance of the deplorable state of roads in Hyderabad and lambasted the GHMC. The court, during the course of a hearing on a report submitted by GHMC, wondered why the civic body was taking so long even as people were losing lives because of potholes.
Several citizens took to Twitter to express their grievances. To show the poor quality of roads, HYD (Hyderabad You Deserve), a community-based awareness platform has started #SelfieWithPothole. It is said to make citizens identify and address the hot spots most affected during monsoons.
Some citizens wanted the State government to utilise the Rs 2,750 crore that was raised through the sale of Kokapet and Khanamet lands to fill potholes, improve the condition of roads in the twin cities instead of spending it on other districts for electoral gains.
“Will the fate of Hyderabad Roads ever change? Requested Chief Minister, Cabinet Ministers and officials to pay their attention on the pathetic condition of roads,” a Twitter user Nand Kishore posted.“If you live in Hyderabad and are obviously aware of the mess that becomes of this city during monsoon, driving on several roads in the city have turned a nightmare for citizens,” another resident tweeted.
About 4,000 to 5,000 potholes and craters were formed on roads owing to relentless rains in the Greater Hyderabad limits in the past week. With the forecast for more rains in the coming days, the condition of roads is likely to turn from bad to worse.
To make the roads motorable for motorists, it would take some time to fill the potholes as dry weather should prevail to take up the patching works, as it’s not possible to fill the potholes as the bitumen would get peeled during the rains, GHMC officials said.