SNDP helps flood-prone colonies breathe easy in Hyderabad

Hyderabad: The Strategic Nala Development Programme (SNDP) works taken up to fight one of the most serious concerns the city is battling – urban flooding – appear to be yielding results even before completion, according to officials.

Under this programme, the stormwater drain network in and around the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) jurisdiction is being revamped by the State government.

Out of the 37 SNDP works proposed in the GHMC limits, seven are nearing completion and as a result, many colonies that used to get inundated with every downpour, were apparently not affected due to the torrential rains that recently lashed the city and State.

Due to the SNDP works taken up at Isuka Vagu to Nakka Vagu up to the Outer Ring Road (ORR), some localities in Serilingampally Zone including R C Reddy Colony, Anand Nagar and the areas around Ushke Bavi that used to get inundated with every downpour were hardly affected by the recent rains, officials said, adding that the rainwater had drained out from these localities giving a sigh of relief to many families.

Similarly, in the northern parts of the city, due to the construction of a Reinforced Cement Concrete (RCC) box drain under SNDP at Sattemma Nagar and Malla Reddy Colony in Alwal circle, residents living in Venkateshwara Colony, Chandra Nagar, Reddy Enclave, Srinivasa Nagar, Jyothi Nagar and Gangaputra Colony were no longer tensed and distressed due to the flooding issues that haunted them for decades.

“Some areas in Alwal that used to get inundated with every downpour were not waterlogged during the recent rains due to the construction of a box drain. Some works in our locality taken up to fix urban flooding issues are pending. I urge the government to complete them,” said K Srinivas Varma, general secretary of Greater Alwal Allied Service Association (GAASA) and a resident of Alwal.

Similarly, due to the laying of a new drain from Modukula Kunta to Kotha Cheruvu, urban flooding was not reported during the recent rains in Shivaji Nagar, M G Nagar, Krishna Nagar Colony, Surya Nagar Phase 3 and Ram Nagar Colony located near Alwal.