Hyderabad: Violating norms, the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation has laid bitumen on city flyovers. Laying BT on flyovers has not only increased the height of the road but encourages commuters to drive at higher speeds.
The Basheerbagh, Narayanguda, Tarnaka, Panjagutta, Paradise, Tolichowki, Nalgonda crossroads and other flyovers have been raised by eight inches due to the unscientific laying of BT. Moreover, gaps in the corners of the flyovers are a threat to the safety of commuters. Civic officials claim that political intervention forced them to lay BT on the flyovers.
According to highly placed sources, it was former chief minister who asked the authorities to lay the bitumen surface because he felt the ride was too bumpy on flyovers. Following his instructions, and even though it meant violating the rules, the municipal corporation used bitumen to surface the flyovers including Sardar Patel (Secunderabad), Paradise-CTO, Rasoolpura, Begumpet and Panjagutta. Similar instructions were given to the erstwhile Hyderabad Urban Development Authority (HUDA).
The unscientific surfacing of the flyovers has resulted in the formation of craters, potholes, and increase in height of the roads. This has caused a number of non-fatal and unreported accidents.
The increase in the height of the road is a violation of the Indian Roads Congress (IRC) rules. Sources said that the current roads are a death trap for commuters and if not rectified, accidents similar to that which took place on the Bio-Diversity flyover will occur. As many as four people died in a span of three weeks during November in flyover-related accidents.
A senior GHMC official requesting anonymity told Deccan Chronicle that the issue will be brought to the notice of the higher authorities.
He said that the civic body would immediately take up the process of milling of the roads as a safety measure. “The bitumen enables a smooth surface which is dangerous for commuting on flyovers. The corporation will ensure all flyovers have cement-concrete (CC) roads which have a rougher surface that discourages speeding,” he said.
