HYDERABAD: The six-month extension given by the Army for Gough Road closure will serve no purpose, noted residents of North East Colonies of Secunderabad. With the alternative road design (from RK Puram to Safilguda) running into trouble, the six-month deadline will bring the issue back to square one, they said.
In talks between the GHMC and the LMA (Local Military Authority) a few days ago, the Army gave its nod for the first alternative road (Safilguda to Allahabad Railway Gate), while suggesting a few modifications in the second design from RK Puram to Safilguda to protect its structures. The civic body has done a re-survey and submitted a detailed project report to the government.
Families living in Neredment, Sainikpuri, ECIL, AS Rao Nagar, Balaji Nagar use Gough Road to move to East Maredpally and Secunderabad. With the closure of this road, lakhs of commuters are bound to get affected.
Pankaj Sethi from the Federation of North Eastern Colonies said that people are not convinced that the second alternative road from RK Puram to Safilguda will address the woes of North Eastern colonies. An open letter was written to the GHMC chief a few days ago.
C.S. Chandrashekar, a member of the Federation of North Eastern Colonies, stated that the LMA was adopting a unilateral stand and taking decisions on its own without taking the Secunderabad Cantonment Board into confidence.
“It is they who decide opening or closure of roads rather than the SCB. These are not unit line roads but roads used both by the defence and civilians.
