Battered roads across Hyderabad a challenge as civic staff gets busy clearing the mess
Hyderabad: After days of incessant rainfall that brought the city to a standstill, Hyderabad is gradually returning to normalcy. The heavy rains, which began late last week, caused disruptions, inflicting major damage to roads, causing severe waterlogging at locations across the city, and traffic snarls.
The situation forced the authorities to even declare a holiday for schools. However, with the rains relenting, the city is slowly beginning to recover. While the municipal authorities launched efforts at clearing waterlogged streets and restoring services, many areas in the city, however, continued to face challenges due to poor road conditions.
Hitec City MMTS station, Cyber Towers, 100-feet road, Musheerabad, Kavadiguda, Monda Market, Mallepally, Neredmet-Dr A S Rao Nagar stretch, and other neighborhoods were still grappling with the aftermath of the rain spell. Electricity and water supply, which were affected in some areas, have been restored and the public transportation systems, which were affected by flooding in some areas, have returned to normalcy.
Trains and bus services which had to be truncated due to inundation on the State and National Highways and railway tracks, were back on schedule, providing the muchneeded relief to commuters. City buses and other modes of transport also started functioning normally. With the rains subsiding, some IT companies, which had shifted to remote work options during the inclement weather, were back to resuming in-office operations.
Retail stores, markets, and restaurants, which had seen reduced footfall during the rains, were witnessing a slow but steady return of customers. Schools and educational institutions, too reopened. Residents cautious Residents, though relieved that the worst appeared to be over, were approaching the situation with cautious optimism. “We’re glad the rains have stopped, and we can get back to our daily lives, but we’re also keeping an eye on the weather updates,” said Ramesh Kumar, a resident of Banjara Hills.
Meanwhile, there are growing calls for a more robust urban infrastructure that can better withstand such extreme weather events. “The State government needs to invest in longterm solutions, such as improved drainage systems and sustainable urban planning, to prevent future occurrences of flooding and waterlogging in future,” said B Anitha from Secunderabad.
While the immediate crisis seems to have passed, GHMC officials were continuing to monitor the situation closely and maintain high alert. For now, the people of Hyderabad are thankful for the return to normalcy, even as they remain vigilant and prepared for what the unpredictable monsoon season may bring next.
