Hyderabad: Following repeated complaints of flooding, especially from the residents of Jyothi Nest, HYDRAA Commissioner AV Ranganath, on Thursday, July 17, conducted an on-ground inspection of stormwater drainage facilities in Banjara Hills, more specifically along Road Numbers 14 and 3.
At the time of inspection, the Commissioner followed the path of the main stormwater drain, which begins in the higher reaches of Banjara Hills, runs through KBR Park and Nandanagar, and finally finds its way into the lake at Jalgam Vengalrao Park.
A sharp narrowing of the drain width, from 4 meters in the upstream to as little as 2 meters approaching Road Number 3, was observed.
The authorities also pointed out that a 1-meter-wide pipeline was laid at a bottleneck location, greatly hampering the unrestricted flow of stormwater. It has resulted in water spilling onto roads during periods of heavy rainfall, causing great inconvenience to residents.
The HYDRAA Commissioner expressed displeasure at the intrusion of the drain and the lack of a planned buffer zone along its course. Concerned departments have been tasked with realigning and conducting an extensive inspection of the entire drain.
“We must ensure uniformity in drain width and that there are no man-made bottlenecks. Reduction in the box drain width is unacceptable, particularly when we are running the risk of urban flooding every monsoon,” he stated.
The Commissioner directed the engineering crews to come up with a comprehensive report, such as points of encroachment and where the width reduces, and present a proposal to restore the original design width of the drain to reduce further flooding risks.
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