The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : All is not well in Alwal

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Thursday, Sep 11, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

All is not well in Alwal

Staff Reporter

Rain water stagnation in the area leaves residents high and dry

- Photo: Mohd. Yousuf

No way out: A motorcyclist navigates through water as several colonies in Alwal were inundated following heavy rain on Tuesday night.

HYDERABAD: Normal life was paralysed in several colonies in and around Alwal on Wednesday following three-hour torrential rain on Tuesday night. Several houses were inundated, vehicles stuck in rain water, drains overflowed, people forced to remain indoors and drinking water supply disrupted.

Complaints from locals flooded the officials of GHMC’s zonal office who allege that improper planning is frequently resulting in water logging for even small showers. However, officials maintained that factors like heavy rain in short spell, breach on the bund of Pedarayudu tank and construction of houses in the vicinity of tank are mainly responsible for the havoc.

Rain water entered many houses in Suryanagar, Joshinagar, Bharati Colony and Temple Alwal area. Srinivasanagar colony was the worst affected. Though a cement concrete road was laid and a huge ‘nala’ was built recently for storm water passage from Sree Bakery to Reddy Enclave in this locality, knee-deep water remained on the stretch from early hours to evening.

Vehicles submerge

Many vehicles parked outside the houses were partially damaged as most of them got submerged. Schoolchildren could not step out as the stream of water on the street flowed at great speed reminiscent of floods.

“The ‘nala’ built by civic officials is not big enough for the passage of water accumulated. They bungled with their wrong estimates leaving people in distress,” Sri Ramulu, a resident of the area, alleged.

The rain water on the streets started receding by evening. Mr. Ramulu said, however, it would take at least a day to pump out the water that filled open area of his house damaging plants and vehicles.

A businessman, Ramesh, complained that building ‘nala’ only on one side of the road is resulting in water stagnation. “Civic authorities assured to lay pipes on the other side but it never materialised,” he charged.

But GHMC Executive Engineer Sukoor explained that the bund of Pedarayudu tank was raised by depositing sand bags and mud to increase water level for immersion of Ganesh idols. “The downpour breached the bund and the excess water inundated the surrounding colonies,” he said.

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