Deplorable roads at OU campus

Ramesh Kulkarni, a commuter dreads to pass through the Arts College road in Osmania University, for he has been a victim to accidents in the last two months, thanks to the deplorable condition of the roads. With barely two months to go for the Osmania University Centenary celebrations, which are slated to be held from April 26 to 28, there is not a word on repairing the roads. On an average, four to six accidents take place every day.

One of the reasons cited for the bad conditions of the roads is attributed to the Telangana agitation before the State was formed. A senior faculty of the university said that when the roads were closed for public prior to 2014, it was not possible for the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) to take up repairs. Even after two years of the formation of Telangana, there has been no effort to repair the roads.

When asked, Prof Venkateshwarulu, estate manager, OU said that last month talks were held with GHMC officials and repair works would start soon. When quizzed further if time would be enough to repair the roads before the celebrations begin? He said that ‘it would be taken up on a war footing.’

Revathi Balakrishnan, a PG student said, “The Arts College building has stood tall for 100 years but the roads wear out just after a downpour.”
The OU roads are used by even public and not only students. People residing in Nallakunta, Central Excise Colony, Shivam Road, Tilak Nagar, Bagh Amberpet and beyond on one side and Tarnaka, Lallaguda, Habsiguda, Mettuguda and beyond use the road regularly.

Suraj, a research scholar said that the OU roads are the lifeline for a lot of residents living in the vicinity of Osmania University but all these years no one bothered to repair the roads. One hopes for better days in the centenary year.