Hyderabad: The construction of vents for the Gurram Cheruvu (lake) at Balapur Road is finally going at a fast pace. The water tank was in news back in 2020 during the devastating floods that displaced hundreds in the city. The discharge of excess water from the vents will ease water logging and inundation in Nabeel Colony, Barkas, Royal Colony and other nearby localities during heavy rains when backwater of the Gurram Cheruvu flows out.
Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) authorities had begun constructed a big and wide nala from Shoeib Hotel at Hafeez Babanagar road that goes to Gurram Cheruvu to facilitate the discharge of excess water that is let-off from the tank.
In the 2020 floods, the Gurram Cheruvu’s water level had breached its walls causing huge loss of property in several pockets of the Hafeezbaba Nagar C Block in particular. People had to be moved out using earthmovers and boats by the civic authorities and non-governmental organizations. The magnitude of the loss was huge compared to the meager compensation offered by the government.
AIMIM Chandrayangutta MLA Akbaruddin Owaisi later represented the issue to the civic authorities and asked them to construct big outlets to allow flow of excess water from the tank. The proposal was accepted and two vents are under construction at the Balapur Road to Keshavagiri Road stretch by the GHMC at Gurram Cheruvu.
The local civic authorities as of now have nearly completed the works at Gurram Cheruvu nala. “The works on the second vent are near completion and before monsoon we expect it to be completed,” said an official of the GHMC.
In last two monsoons Nabeel Colony and Royal colony were largely affected with water accumulating up to a height of 10 feet because the exit routes were all clogged, Siraj, a local resident said.
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