HYDERABAD : In a one-of-its-kind protest against the civic body, a woman sat in a water-filled pothole road in Anand Nagar, Bandlaguda, Nagole, on Thursday, demanding the authorities take up repair work on the stretch immediately.
Displaying a poster, “Where is our road tax? Municipal tax..,” the woman said she resorted to the act to highlight the poor condition of the road and sought immediate fixing of potholes to ensure the safety of pedestrians and other commuters.
A video of the woman sitting in the water-filled pothole has surfaced on social media.
“I have counted; there are 30 potholes between Uppal and Nagole. This is pathetic, and I could not take it anymore. We are facing this problem every day. I purposely sat in it. We request (the civic body) to solve this issue,” the protestor reportedly said and claimed that her children had earlier fallen in the pothole.
The protester was also joined by locals and commuters, who also held placards such as “We want safe roads...won’t you??”
Speaking to media persons, the woman claimed that she brought the matter to the knowledge of officials, after which she was told that a budget had been allotted to lay the road. But the officials did not provide a timeline to resolve the problem, she claimed.
An official from the Engineering Wing of the GHMC told TNIE that the road, which used to fall under the jurisdiction of the Roads & Buildings (R&B) department, was handed over to the corporation right before the notification was announced for parliamentary elections. “The entire stretch from Bandlaguda to Nagole is in bad shape. We will take up the rework after the election results are announced. However, for temporary basis, silts were laid on the roads” the official added.
Meanwhile, the woman could be heard saying in the video that she would again sit on agitation if the work did not start by Friday. “I will come here and take a bath on the road from the water in the pothole,” she said.