Secunderabad: It may lack the razmatazz or the perceived oomph of the newer parts of Hyderabad, habited by tech and finance driven companies, or the service industry, and venues for holding glitzy exhibitions, but Secunderabad,
Hyderabad’s twin, remains a place people still cherish. Built originally as a cantonment for the British army during pre-independent India, Secunderabad had developed into a city of its own. But the passage of time resulted in the Hyderabad-Secunderabad duo forgotten mostly as twin cities, with the focus of development over the past few decades shifting towards what has now emerged as the IT, business, and tech hubs towards the west of the twin cities.
Many who live in Secunderabad have, over the years, developed a sense of being left behind, whether in terms of overall development of Hyderabad’s twin, or in terms of citizen satisfaction. Some, however, swear by it, particularly the quality of life thanks to its history as a Cantonment area.
There is nostalgia among the elderly of better times gone by, tinged with a sense that their part of the GHMC area has been facing increasing neglect. “Secunderabad,” says Sudha Dave, a 73-year-old housewife who lived all her life in Secunderabad’s Trimulgherry area, “no longer attracts younger people. Sometimes, I think it is turning into an area for the old. There are not enough sporting arenas for the young, and I see my grandson travel all the way to Jubilee Hills, and to Gachibowli to catch up with his friends. In cleanliness too, we see roads in other areas much cleaner compared to in Secunderabad. There is garbage almost everywhere here.”
Those living in Secunderabad for long, say while the quality of life is still OK in this part of the state’s capital, more facilities could add to its richness. In terms of public amenities, they feel a lack of street lights, irregular roads, and metros too do not connect to all the areas creating bottlenecks to easy travel.
According to Kausar Rohawala, a businessman, and a resident of Bowenpally, it was not just that youngsters find themselves gravitating towards the now upmarket and upscale western side of the city. The attractive malls, or interesting pubs are not in this area.
“Also, many roads in Secunderabad need four lanes, but all we see is a single lane in many parts, and roads without dividers. And in some localities despite construction of large complexes, whether residential or for businesses, the roads have remained the same. All that is done is they are topped every now and then when what is really needed is widening them,” he said. On some issues, for some, solace comes from comparison from parts of the city that are much worse off.
“Compared to the Old City of Hyderabad, the overall sanitation situation in the Secunderabad area is better. The other areas like Jubilee Hills, Banjara Hills, and Gachibowli have more MLAs than we do, so things are better there,” S Shailesh, a resident of West Maredpally. “If we want to build huge buildings, sanitation must be improved and many shops, and existing buildings must be demolished for bigger buildings and better road facilities. But who will do it now? The government is allowing illegal constructions, and moreover Secunderabad is like a settled city,” Shailesh said.
Though the desire for better civic infrastructure and facilities runs as a common thread among residents in Secunderabad, creating these to the satisfaction of all, might be a daunting task, says retired army officer Shiva Kiran, a resident of Begumpet.
A GIS-mapping consultant, he said, “It is surely difficult to suddenly widen roads and take up new infrastructure projects. However, the pace of development is much lesser here as compared to other areas. Though many new layouts are coming up in the Alwal area but are not being catered to properly in terms of infrastructure facilities, sewage lines, ending up with congested roads. Better planning and designing is needed in these areas.”
