Marooned in misery: Unable to move out, Hyderabad residents continue to stay in submerged houses

HYDERABAD: Even two days after the great deluge, at least 100 colonies in Hyderabad continued to be under water. Waterlogging persisted in areas under LB Nagar, Malakpet, Chandrayangutta, Karwan, Serilingampalli and and Malkajgiri circles of the GHMC. Unable to move out, people were hit hard as power shutdowns added to their misery. 

A visit to the marooned CIB Quarters and Gandhinagar in Khairatabad explained the pathetic situation being faced by residents for the last three days. Elected representatives are paying the customary visits but little has been done in the last three days as their houses continue to be submerged in four feet of water. 
A defunct boat was pressed into service in the CIB Quarters to shift people from the colony but there weren’t many takers. The Express team which visited these localities saw residents standing outside their houses, lashing out at elected representatives and government officials. 

“This morning, Khairatabad MLA Danam Nagender, visited our CIB Old Quarters and was stumped to see water up to the knee level. He assured us that water would be cleared within half-an-hour. But six hours have lapsed and nobody has come to clear the stagnated water,” Raj Kumar, a government employee residing in CIB Quarters, told Express.

“This is the first time in my life that I have seen such a deluge. In 2000, there were flash floods. However, the water flowed automatically into the Hussainsagar lake. After the Imax was constructed, our problems began as storm water drain lines have been blocked. The water flow has been obstructed causing severe hardship to residents,” he said.

“The CM boasts about a Bangaru Telangana. Is this the Bangaru Telangana the CM talks about? Where colonies are submerged and people face untold misery,” a resident asked. Lakshmi, a home-maker, rued that her house was filled with three feet of water. “The colony is inundated as the storm water drain is blocked. Though we made calls to the civic body, the response is lukewarm,” she said.

“With elected leaders and officials failing to come to our rescue, we had no option but to pool money ourselves and hire pump sets to pump out the rainwater. Else, our children will fall sick,” said Satish, a Gandhinagar resident. “It has been over 48 hours and the stagnated water is yet to recede. But no one has come to our rescue,’’ Srikanth of the same locality said. 

35 buildings razed in two days
In the light of heavy rains lashing the city, the GHMC has taken up demolition of dilapidated buildings in the city after vacating the inmates. In the last two days, nearly 35 old structures have been demolished by the GHMC Town Planning wing. Nineteen dilapidated structures were demolished in Charminar, Falaknuma, Lal Darwaza, and other areas on Wednesday. As many as 16 old buildings were demolished on Thursday in the localities of RP Road in Secunderabad, Saroornagar, Goshamahal, Kali Khabar