No escape interior roads are the worst hit

Restoration is not up to the mark for most of the roads that were dug up for laying pipelines for water supply or sewerage works in the last one year in many parts of the old city

The stretch filled with potholes on the Khilath Palace in old Hyderabad. Photo: Mohammed Yousuf

A popular adage goes ‘ Hyderabad nagina, andar matti upar chunna’ . It sums up the condition of roads in the old city. While most of the major thoroughfares are in a good condition, the situation is just the opposite in the interiors.

Blame it on the poor quality of works or lack of supervision, most roads are misnomers. Right from the Puranapul Bridge to Nayapul Bridge and beyond or from Attapur to I.S. Sadan, the road conditions are as bad as they can get.

If motorists have to commute through the pothole-dotted stretch in residential colonies then there is no way to escape the hardship of the main thoroughfares like Chandrayangutta, Kishanbagh, Shaheennagar, Yakutpura and Uppuguda.

Official apathy

“Civic officials have become thick skinned and are not bothered about taking note of the plight of motorists,” laments Syed Shahbaz, an IT professional from Chandrayangutta, pointing to a bad stretch of road near Lifeline Hospital at Chandrayangutta.

Repair not taken up

“Despite heavy flow of traffic the authorities have failed to take up road repair works,” complains Shailendar Goud, a defence company employee from Bandlaguda referring to the road conditions at Hafezbabanagar.

It’s no better in the areas of Shaheennagar, Hyderguda, Moghalpura, Yakutpura, Misrigunj, N. S. Kunta, Hafezbabanagar, Kishanbagh, N. M. Guda, Edi Bazaar, Dhoolpet, Karwan, Manghalhath, Mallepally Jiyaguda, Golconda and Langer Houz.

Pipeline laying

In most areas, roads were dug up for laying pipelines for water supply and sewerage works in the last one year, but restoration was not up to the mark.

“Delays in taking up road repairs are causing lot of problems including inundations,” points out a resident of Chaderghat.

However, the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) is assuring of positive action. “We have done pothole filling and repairs on busy roads recently. We will take up works in interior colonies too soon,” a GHMC official said.