Hyderabad: Residents and commuters in Secunderabad are grappling with health and safety issues as they grapple with pothole-ridden roads in the AOC area, also exploring alternative roads as the lack of post-monsoon repair works has turned the stretches into a series of speed breakers followed by potholes.
The AOC gates connect key areas of the city and important military installations, due to which residents have also reached out to the Secunderabad Cantonment Board (SCB) to undertake repairs on priority.
Nandini P., a daily commuter, said that she dreads driving on the AOC road. “The potholes are so deep that they can damage vehicles, and the speed breakers right before them are a recipe for disaster. It's high time authorities take action before a major accident takes place,” she said.
Boja Karthikeya, another motorist who regularly uses the AOC roads, said: “The issue is not just of inconvenience, but it's a genuine safety hazard. We need urgent repairs and a long-term solution to avoid such incidents.”
Octavio Souza, a Marredpally resident, said that a recent fall of a cyclist due to hazardous road conditions has added to the urgency of repairs. “Several sportspersons and cyclists frequent this area during the early hours and the loose sand only makes the road worse. For those who take these routes daily, neck or spine pain has become a common scare,” he said.
Another commuter, Waheed Osman, said that he has started avoiding the route and instead, takes a long detour through the Tukaram Gate or Malkajgiri.
SCB civil-nominated member Ramakrishna J. said that the Board was waiting for the monsoon to end to hold talks with the military authorities and begin work on roads. “We will soon speak with the president of the Cantonment Board to address the dire situation of roads at AOC as well as the entrenchment road. Patchworks had already been done several months ago, but a permanent solution will be worked upon soon,” he said.
