Rain in Hyderabad exposed the flaws of the drainage system

Hyderabad: Water stagnation has become a persistent problem in various localities across the city after every rain. This situation was witnessed again on Tuesday, with lanes inundated and lakes brimming. The problem has escalated due to faulty stormwater drains and choked nalas, which are unable to cope with the sudden influx of rainwater.

With just a little rainfall, many localities, including Jeedimetla, VST Ramnagar Junction, Nallakunta, Tarnaka, Mettuguda, Secunderabad Station Road, Srinagar Colony, Malkajgiri, Balanagar, Nizampet, Red Hills, and Nampally, have been inundated. The main reason is that the existing stormwater drains need to be widened, and maintenance works should be carried out on time. Locals pointed out that concerned officials only visit the areas to pump out the water after every rain.

Citizens have experienced inconvenience and distress due to a lack of preparedness. Every rainy day, we, the locals of Tarnaka, suffer as the entire lane gets inundated with water. We have repeatedly complained to the Water department, requesting a permanent solution by repairing the stormwater drains,” said a local of Tarnaka.

“Every time it rains, we face hardships as our entire lane gets stagnated with water. Sometimes, water even flows into our houses. This is happening because the pipelines in our area are old and need to be replaced,” said Ramesh, a local of Nampally. “We are tired of complaining to the concerned officials to clean the manholes and drains, but the issues have not been rectified. With the recent rains, the situation has worsened, causing locals to struggle to use the lane. It would be better if the drains and stormwater systems were cleaned annually, at least three months before the monsoon season,” said Sai Teja, a resident of Nizampet.