Heavy rain for two consecutive days recently has not caused much inundation in residential areas which otherwise had been prone to flooding as witnessed during the previous monsoons. Part of the reason is attributed to the stormwater drainage work taken up by GHMC at various locations in the city facilitating evacuation of flood water between lakes.
However, flooding of the Osmania General Hospital, resulting in untold misery to patients and staff, has deprived the State government and GHMC of an opportunity to take pride in their work. It is learnt that this is the first time the hospital is flooded due to obstruction in the storm water drain.
Passing the buck
However, GHMC seems keen on evading the responsibility to overhaul the stormwater drainage system in this particular area, even while the same in the entire city is taken care by the corporation.
A meeting convened by Minister Talasani Srinivas Yadav over the flooding reportedly had the GHMC officials passing the buck to Telangana State Medical Infrastructure Development Corporation (TSMIDC) under whose jurisdiction the hospital falls.
While TSMIDC sure is responsible for the infrastructural requirements of the hospital, it is notable that the stormwater drainage system also receives flows from surrounding localities like Begum Bazar and Feelkhana.
“The drainage system was built during the Asaf Jahi era, and located 20 feet underground. No blueprint exists, and nobody knows which pipeline goes where underneath. De-silting of the drain, which customarily takes place before monsoon, is next to impossible here for this very reason,” shared an official on the condition of anonymity.
GHMC would have found a detour for the flood flow had there been any residential localities in the vicinity prone to flooding during rains. There were none, and the flood water would drain straight into Musi river, which had not been a problem.
Illegal construction
Rampant illegal construction activities around the hospital, in areas such as Afzalgunj, Begum Bazar and Feel Khana have increased the pressure on existing drains, say locals. “Multi-storeyed buildings with five to six floors have come up in the place of single unit dwellings built on 100 to 120 square yards in the area. The amount of drainage, too, has multiplied accordingly. But instead of taking connection to the sewage main line, the builders are connecting to stormwater network on the sly, which is increasing the pressure on the system,” says Anand Goud, a local leader.
GHMC officials say that the solution lies in diverting the flow of storm water from surrounding localities directly to the Musi, while retaining the Nizam-era system only for the 25 acre spread of OGH. That requires coordinated effort by GHMC and TSMIDC.
