If motorists struggled to negotiate water logged roads when heavy rains were lashing the city last week, now it is the swirling pebbled dust and deep potholes that are giving them a hard time on almost all the road stretches.
And it is not only the main roads, but the internal colony roads as well in many parts of the city that have taken a thorough beating due to the rains and driving along them has turned into a nightmarish experience for motorists.
The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) has been struggling hard this season to maintain the road conditions given the heavy rains at regular intervals and their quick fix methodology of filling the potholes has been blamed by most for the present woes.
If the potholes that have been increasing in numbers with every spell of rain to give a bone-rattling driving experience, the gravel and soil from the filled potholes only add to the problems.
The total road network in the city runs to 6,780 square km of which the GHMC maintains 6,480 square km and the rest is shared by the Roads & Buildings (R&B) Department and the National Highways Authority.
Last month, the civic body identified around 20,000 potholes and took up works to repair and re-carpet them at a cost of Rs.16 crore with the then Commissioner M. T. Krishna Babu assuring to complete the works by October 10.
From Indira Nagar in Gachibowli to road stretches in Marredpally, Toli Chowki to Shaikpet, Narayanguda near YMCA, Nallakunta close to Fever Hospital, Masab Tank and Kondapur to Gachibowli via Chirec School have all have developed potholes with the gravel and soil spread around them.
“Driving through the gravel is very dangerous and I slipped and fell down twice in the last two days close to the GHMC office at Gachibowli,” said Satish Kumar, a resident of Sudarshannagar.
Sajeer Fazil pointed out a danger spot for motorists at Indira Nagar and said, “While taking a U-turn near Venkaiah Filling Station, if one is riding a two-wheeler and if he/she falls, then there is every chance that they may get injured badly.”
Dust from the roads has come to trouble the drivers also and along many stretches one could see motorists squinting their way out to avoid it.
“If the roads are not attended to immediately, we will have to manoeuvre our way with eyes closed on some stretches,” said Radheshyam at Nagole.
