Hyderabad: Days after two storms hit the city, the GHMC has still not cleared the streets of uprooted trees and broken branches.
A thunderstorm hit Secunderabad on May 14, and Hyderabad on May 20. Over 500 trees were uprooted, and branches of hundreds of trees fell down.
Shutdown today
Even by Sunday evening many places like Ashoknagar, Banjara Hills, Panjagutta, Anandnagar, Baghlingampally, Kacheguda, Musheerabad, Chil-kalguda, Padmarao Nagar had the leafy remains still lying along the road and in colonies. In many areas, the debris from thunderstorms which occurred a week ago and earlier, are still to be seen.
GHMC does not have any special plan to ensure swift and efficient clearance of debris after thunderstorm even though IMD and other meteorological experts from the city say that till the onset of monsoon in June there will be more such thunderstorms.
Asked about it, a horticulture official from GHMC said, “Yes, we know that that till monsoon there will be such thunderstorms but there is no particular plan as such. We are ensuring that the tree debris clearing work is conducted quickly and keeping all the equipment and manpower for it ready.”
Mr C Ramesh from Kacheguda said, “There is a long tree trunk lying next to the main road near my house. In my lane there is a heap of tree branches and leaves which block the street. On Saturday some GHMC workers came and did haphazard work by carrying away the debris which was right on the road and leaving the debris in streets and along the roads, intact.”
Earlier on Saturday night, tension prevailed as locals in Golconda, Toli Chowki, Banjara Hills and other areas gheraoed electricity officials for their failure to restore the supply. The discom officials brought mobile transfers and also gave alternate supply from other feeders during night to some of the colonies. Power supply was restored in these areas only on Sunday.
In Dwarakapuri Colony at Punjagutta, the officials brought alternate mobile transformer to restore power supply to residences in the area.
