Monsoon teams set up in Hyderabad’s low-lying areas

HYDERABAD: In a bid to prevent any untoward incidents and minimise flooding, the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) is taking a slew of measures ahead of the monsoon season.
Currently, the civic body is identifying vulnerable structures such as dilapidated buildings, excavated cellars, and construction sites that are prone to damage during the monsoon.
The officials are recommending repairs and other necessary actions to ensure structural stability. GHMC commissioner DS Lokesh Kumar has instructed assistant engineers and deputy engineers to expedite ongoing nala works and conduct desilting operations across the city.
"Notices have been served to owners of dilapidated buildings, directing them to either demolish or repair their structures after stability assessment. We are also working with builders to implement measures that safeguard cellars under construction during the rains," a senior official said.
In addition to the existing Disaster Response Force (DRF) teams, GHMC is also setting up static monsoon emergency teams in low-lying areas.
These teams will be equipped with the required machinery to address water inundation issues promptly from June to October.
Additional mobile teams will also be deployed as backup support. The GHMC has allocated a budget of 36.9 crore for its monsoon action plan, covering desilting works for stormwater drains, underground sewerage lines, machinery expenses, and the establishment of emergency and mobile teams, among other initiatives. Simultaneously, the civic body is working against time to complete the pending phase one projects of the Strategic Nala Development Plan (SNDP).
As of now, 14 out of 36 SNDP phase one projects have been completed across the GHMC limits. The focus is on prioritising work in low-lying areas that were severely affected by unseasonal rains in April. For instance, GHMC is determined to complete the retaining wall at Padma Nagar in Nallakunta, where several vehicles were swept into the drain during the unseasonal rains.