Holes, gaps in Necklace Road wall are safe havens for anti-social elements
HYDERABAD: PVNR Marg, the erstwhile Necklace Road, seems not as safe as it appears as anti-social elements, junkies and vagabonds use the stretch for all sorts of obnoxious activities, and rob couples who come there to spend some time together.
These elements gain entry through huge breaks on the boundary wall of the road and make themselves comfortable in the bushes. There are 20 such gaps on the boundary wall which allow easy entry and exit. The wall starts from opposite Eat Street and ends opposite Sanjeevaiah Park.
The wall comes under the jurisdiction of the South Central Railway and the HMDA. There are three areas on the other side — MS Maktha, PS Maktha and Patigadda. According to vendors on the road, there were incidents in which couples were threatened and robbed of their money. These couples do not lodge complaints with the police. In addition to that, there have been reports of many cellphone thefts on this road.
If a police patrol comes along, the thugs instantly slip to the other side through these gaps
Just a few yards away from Jalavihar towards Sanjeevaiah Park, the HMDA has planted a garden but law-breakers sit inside and drink alcohol.
A push cart vendor opposite PV Ghat said, “Drug addicts enter here, they are trouble makers, and therefore most of the visitors don’t want to put up a fight with them. When the police come patrolling, they easily cross this broken wall and enter Vallabhanagar in Pattigadda.”
The road is guarded by the Lake police with 47 personnel and four vehicles. The mounted police keep watch from 6 pm to 8 pm. B. Dhanalaxmi, SHO of the Lake police, said, “There are oral complaints given on petty issues by couples, but they do not come forward to lodge complaints.”
She added that the Lake police does chase the trouble makers but they go out of the jurisdiction when they cross the wall. “We made several representations to the HMDA to repair these broken walls. Even the SCR has to repair or construct their walls,” she said.
