Deep pits and potholes return to haunt Hyderabad citizens as rain lashes city

The constant rain lashing Hyderabad this week has left citizens witnessing a repeat of last year, as potholes and pits have returned to haunt commuters and pedestrians alike. The constant downpour has battered roads in several areas, as the flowing water has also washed away the roads. Areas in Secunderabad like Sainikpuri, Neredmet, Safilguda, and Anandbagh were already faced with bad roads, and the rain has just made things worse."The rain water often fills up the pothole, and commuters lose their sense of depth. If they ride through these roads, assuming that they were smooth, they would only end up with multiple bruises or fractures by the time they were done," a local at Sainikpuri says. "I'm scared to even take out my vehicle during this time. Many places even have deep pits, that have been left uncovered," he adds.  While the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) has banned road cutting during the monsoon, it has granted an exemption to the L&T and the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWSSB). As a result, several roads have been dug up in Kapra Circle, Anand Bagh in Malakajgiri, and Venkatapuram in Alwal. Many people also took to Twitter, to vent their frustration on the state of the roads. It's not just Secunderabad that is suffering. Several arterial roads in Hyderabad as well as Cyberabad, have also faced the brunt of the showers. Calling the roads a 'test of patience', reports add that some of the areas affected, included, Madina, Begum Bazaar, Nampally, Ek-Minaar Masjid, Nampally railway station, Masab Tank, Lakdikapul, NMDC, Hi-tec city, Asif Nagar and Mangalhat.  Netizens even reported on social media, that the Panjagutta flyover had begun developing potholes and craters due to the rains. The Hindu reported that the GHMC has an outlay of Rs 1611.45 crore on roads and pavements for the year 2017-18, while it claimed to have spent Rs 110.73 crore on maintenance of roads alone, last year.  Despite this, the roads continue to remain life-threatening. This has not gone unnoticed by politicians either, as the Opposition party, Congress addressed media persons on Tuesday over the condition of the roads. Leader of the Opposition in the Telangana Legislative Council Mohammed Ali Shabbir, along with Congress Legislature Party Deputy Leader T Jeevan Reddy and former chief whip Gandra Venkata Ramana Reddy lashed out at state Municipal Administration and Urban Development Minister K T Rama Rao. Calling KTR 'Feku Rao', Shabbir Ali lashed out at the TRS leader, asking him if this was the result of his much publicised 100-day action plan, that he had announced while taking charge of the municipal department. “Is this the result of your action plan? We are ready for a debate, at any time and place of your choice. The TRS government had failed to implement all the 21 major promises made during the last GHMC elections. If the TRS government cannot handle the situation, let them give up power and the Congress knows how to manage the situation,” Shabbir Ali added.   Telangana: Hyderabad roads in poor condition following rains, potholes make life miserable for commuters. pic.twitter.com/yhmxl1RYdW — ANI (@ANI_news) July 19, 2017 Roads laid 2 months ago are full of pot holes. Corrupt road contractors. @KTRTRS the govt shud chk quality of wrks strictly #HyderabadRains — being zaheer (@being_zaheer) July 19, 2017 #HyderabadRains Citizens hospital, Nallagandla main road. R&B staff doing their best but damage to roads is too deep pic.twitter.com/RcSwkS6vB1— Vijay Ivaturi (@VijayIvaturi) July 18, 2017 Other city: One drives on the left of the road. In Hyderabad: One drives on what is left off the road.#LifeafterRain — Sourav Sahana (@Souravert) July 19, 2017 #HyderabadRains #Hyderabad City roads have become a battlefield with actual craters. So much for smart city — Kedar Naik (@kn_naik) July 19, 2017 Hyderabad resembles Venice ... Roads have to be the worst the city has ever seen...it's a complete mess of a urban design..— sundeep (@sundeepgummadi) July 19, 2017 #HyderabadRains #Hyderabad Newly laid roads full of pot holes. We are paying for corrupt contractors and it goes all unchecked. Chalta hai — Kedar Naik (@kn_naik) July 19, 2017 Have been in #Hyderabad for last 30 years, can safely say these are the worst roads ever; #HyderabadRains https://t.co/L8zag4IGqy — Srikanth (@JayaHoIndia) July 19, 2017 Happy Diwali to HYD Road contractors... #HyderabadRains — Pradeep (@pradeepgoud11) July 19, 2017