With low rentals and expanding commercial market, areas under the Kapra Municipal Circle are undergoing transformation at a fast pace. But, lack of proper public transportation and bad roads are taking the sheen off this fast-emerging part of the city.
A ride towards ECIL crossroads lays bare the apathy of the civic authorities as the bumpy roads are sure to rattle the journey. “The main road connecting the area with Secunderabad and Hitec City is severely damaged, making commute to our offices an ordeal,” Sunil Kumar, a resident of A.S. Rao Nagar, complains.
Many people moved into this side of the city recently, as it is relatively quieter than other “central” parts, and property is still “affordable”. But, the quality of civic amenities is not improving in accordance with the exploding population, he observes.
Like Malkajgiri, areas under the erstwhile Kapra Municipality, too, do not have the luxury of proper public transportation. They are completely bypassed in the Metro Rail plans, and even MMTS is yet to take off even after so many delays, V. Pramod, another resident, says. An employee of a multinational company in Hitec City, Pramod travels for more than two hours to reach his office.
“Of late, commute has become dangerous thanks to bad roads, and as most employees come back late in the evening, lack of proper streetlights in the area is only compounding the problems,” he maintains.
Residents of the area also complain about the location of a dump yard at Jawahar Nagar. “While the area does not come under the GHMC, trash from the whole city is being dumped at Jawahar Nagar,” a resident complains. The dump yard has made life in the area difficult and unhealthy, she complains, adding that the GHMC has not taken care to improve the infrastructure in the area.
“All that the GHMC wants is to dump the trash in our area and not care about its development,” she rues.
Residents had high expectations when the Kapra Municipality area was merged with the GHMC, but the merger has made little difference, P. Sudhakar Goud, a resident of Sainikpuri, maintains.
