Repairs to drain taken up, residents sigh

Bahadurpura: In a major relief to Bahadurpura, finally, the civic authorities took up drain overflow issue which was causing inconvenience to locals for more than three months. The local GHMC and HMWSSB officials after establishing close coordination, began desilting and rearranging the drain pipeline, which was damaged several months back.

This development comes after The Hans India published the issue 'drain overflow causing hardships to locals' in its columns. The residents of Bahadurpura near Kamela road have been complaining about the regular drain overflow near Sree Rama Theater to the GHMC, as well as the HMWSSB officials. Finding no response from officials, they started tweeting the issue and tagged higher officials and ministers.

A report "Denizens take to Twitter to bemoan civic issues" was published on October 31 in The Hans India newspaper. It was brought to light that as to how residents were trying to approach higher officials. One of the novel methods adopted was the locals started tweeting by tagging Minister of MA&UD, K Taraka Ramarao, Principle Secretary, GHMC, HMWSSB, GHMC Zonal Commissioner and other officials, after formal complaints failed to have an impact.

After the report was published, social activist Abdul Rahman said that he took the newspaper cutting and took forward the issue to the GHMC Zonal Commissioner and Engineer Wing for finding a permanent solution. Very next day, the works were started in close coordination of both GHMC and HMWSSB. Rahman said that the works were launched without inviting tenders or estimating the total cost.

The works were started by engaging JCB through maintenance fund. According to the officials, the drain pipeline was damaged and dislocated which blocked other lines causing overflow. The desilting works are in progress and almost 50 per cent of the works have been completed and within 8 days the entire works would be completed, they said.