This monsoon will be no different for city traffic personnel as they are gear up to keep vehicle movement smooth during heavy rains, confident that every blockage will be cleared within minutes.
Police have identified a number of waterlogging points on the main roads, and have been equipped with cranes, chainsaws, ropes and other tools to clear roads of trees, tree branches, fallen poles and fix blocked drainage points.
Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Anil Kumar told The Hindu that traffic cops are the first respondents in the event of gusty winds and heavy rainfall, which often lead to numerous obstacles on the road, leading to traffic nightmares for citizens.
In previous years too, policemen have drawn praise for braving the rains to help clear traffic jams, with some of their efforts even becoming the stuff of viral videos.
“We are fully equipped and prepared to tackle heavy downpour. We have identified vulnerable waterlogging points that could impact vehicular movement. Within minutes, our teams deployed in those areas will clear the drains to allow free flow of traffic,” Mr. Kumar said, adding that six special teams, each led by sub-inspector rank officer, will monitor the situation at night.
Another officer said that the police have categorised waterlogging points into three segments — critical, major and minor — and submitted the same to the civic bodies during a meeting. “Luckily, we don’t have any critical point in the core area of Hyderabad city. No matter what, traffic jams will be cleared within minutes and commuters won’t be put to inconvenience,” the officer said.
Problem areas
Meanwhile, Cyberabad Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic) S.M. Vijay Kumar said they have identified waterlogging points, damaged roads and even road cutting done by various departments and were not restored.
“We have already approached GHMC Commissioner M. Dana Kishore for remedial measures and other road engineering departments to avoid problems,” he said, adding that a response from the corporation is awaited.
