The last few months have been pretty tough for health workers, especially those involved in public healthcare services in Hyderabad and elsewhere in the districts. It was double trouble when health officials had to deal with a number of cases of dengue and swine flu, which broke out at the same time in Hyderabad and elsewhere in the State.
In additional to dengue and swine flu, the State-run health care machinery is also struggling to cope with cases of malaria and viral fever.
While most of the preparedness was around viral fever and dengue, the sudden spurt in cases of swine flu, which usually starts to increase in the latter part of the year, complicated things. Almost all the government hospitals and doctors struggled to deal with the large number of patients. In fact, the health officials took their time to organise their response to the large number of swine flu cases and deaths in Telangana. Surely, a double whammy for health authorities in Hyderabad this season!
Scribes caught off guard
Journalists attending a conference in the city were surprised when they realised the invitation to the programme was not just to cover it but also to participate, when one reporter was handed the microphone to speak!
However, given that the subject was a general civic issue, journalists were able to pitch in with relative ease and also make valuable contributions to the discussion, which were incorporated for submission to the government in the hope of framing policies to resolve the issue.
Much needed revelation
Noise is unpleasant, not just on the road but even in the State Assembly. At an event aimed at creating awareness on lowering noise pollution in the city, a State Minister was quite candid when he acknowledged that such an initiative is needed even in the Assembly! He went on to say that perhaps they should lead by example by conducting themselves well and shout lesser. Even the public would be glad if such a realisation dawns upon our politicians.
HMWSSB officials on
their toes
Officials of the water board are a worried lot. With negative rainfall being recorded for the third consecutive year, the supply from the Osmansagar and Himayatsagar lakes will mostly decline to the point that a greater part of the supply from the Krishna phase three project will only make up for it. “We were of the view that the Krishna phase three project will increase the total supply to the city by 90 million gallons per day (MG), but now, it looks like it’ll go up by just half,” mentioned a senior HMWSSB official.
The total supply from both the lakes used to be 40 MGD, which has now come down to almost half . Officials said that last year, the rains at least filled the two water bodies, which helped pull through the summer season. Next year, the situation might be worrisome, they fear.
Grand plans on paper only?
For last few months, the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) has been busy with proposals of setting up flyovers, one flying over another and criss-crossing the cityscape and so on. Indeed they look grand on the drawing board. But for motorists, the prevailing realities of the city roads are harsh. Every time it rains, most city roads, be it Naraynaguda, Lakdikapul, Nampally or Masab Tank, remain submerged, forcing the motorists to wade through nearly knee deep water in some places.
Managed to pass through successfully? However, the next day as the rain stops, several roads throw up potholes like the Kondapur-Chirec School-Gachibowli Road.
And the motorists end up marshalling their best driving skills to traverse these. Can there be better and safe roads in the city even as denizens wait for the grand flyovers?
Reporting by M. Sai Gopal, Rohit PS, Rahul Devulapalli, Yunus Lasania and
T. Lalith Singh
