Signature campaign by Nagaram residents on flooded homes, streets

HYDERABAD: It's not uncommon to find streets and colonies being flooded during cyclones, floods and torrential rains.

The hardship caused by them aren't uncommon either.

But, people raising their voice against a civic problem isn't either.

However, making a concerted effort to pursue their cause is something that has all the ingredients of a brewing indignation among people.

Following an intense protest by residents of Dammaiguda last week, residents of Nagaram have now started a signature campaign to draw the attention of municipal authorities to their inundated homes and streets.

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Nagaram, a Hyderabad suburb, is home to 25 colonies. However, a majority of homes and streets in these colonies are inundated as a result of the recent rains.

The water clogging in 25 colonies in Nagaram, where thousands of people live and commute each year, has become routine during the rainy season and even during unseasonal rains, the locals claim.

Residents of Nagaram are suffering as a result of water gushing into their colonies, severely damaging their personal property and, more importantly, affecting the foundations of their homes and other buildings, endangering everyone's lives.

Ravinder Reddy, a resident of BBC colony in Nagaram, said, "The water overflows from the Dammaiguda and nearby lakes and mixes with dirty drainage water, which then mixes with our bore well and drinking water." The stagnant water has also become a breeding ground for mosquitos, affecting the health of the residents. In short, our lives have deteriorated over the last 14 years."

The 40-year-old Shashi Kanth Punagasela, a resident of Sanjeevini Nagar of Nagaram, told Newstap, "We have all built or purchased our homes with our hard-earned money, which we believe will be wasted if a concrete and immediate solution is not provided." We ask the responsible municipal authorities to designate a proper water diversion at the source level.

He went on to say, " If a proper diversion is provided from the main Rampally X Roads road, specifically from Vishal Mart connecting directly to Nagaram drainage near Mytri Hotel, then the chances of the water flooding into various colonies will be minimal.

"Additionally, we believe that proper drainage systems in various Nagaram colonies are essential. These systems need regular maintenance, including cleaning and inspection. We request the municipal authorities to investigate the aforementioned issues immediately and take appropriate action so that residents are not subjected to such trauma. "

"We have already begun a signature campaign to draw the attention of municipal officials concerned. We have already received the signatures of over 1,000 residents in support. If the municipal authorities do not address our concerns, we will hold a protest soon," said Jay Kumar, another resident of Modi Apartments in Nagaram.

In response to residents' complaints, Vani Alluri, Nagaram Municipal Commissioner, told Newstap, "Nagaram residents have been suffering for the past 20 years, and this year's rains have been particularly heavy, causing the residents to suffer even more." I joined two years ago and proposed solutions to the problems through the Strategic Nala Development Programme (SNDP). We have also sent proposals to the GHMC Commissioner and Collector under SNDP. "We are hopeful that these issues will be resolved quickly."