Hyderabad: Residents of the Nampally Assembly constituency, which is at the heart of Hyderabad, are unhappy with an array of civic issues — uncollected garbage, stray dog menace, outdated drainage system, water contamination, and inundation of low-lying areas — given its central location.
After the recent fire in Red Hills, voters are also concerned over an estimated 200 printing presses using large quantities of highly flammable chemicals and storing them in residential buildings and godowns near them.
Miraj Begum, a social worker, said: “After the tragic incident at Balaji Residency, in which 10 people were trapped to death, there are still over 200 printing presses and eight flammable chemicals in our areas posing a severe threat to our lives.
We have given a representation to the AIMIM Red Hills corporator; he assured us that action would be taken against him soon after the elections.”
Open dumping is especially acute in Afzalsagar, Bazarghat, and Red Hills, with residents raising health concerns over the waste hazard.
“We have, several times, complained to Miraj Hussain Jaffar, the former AIMIM MLA, and AIMIM corporator Arif Rizwan. They immediately call up GHMC and officials clear the garbage, but the GHMC is not regularly collecting the garbage,” said Mohammed Nazeer, a resident.
The severe problem of inundation during rains hits Mangar Basti and Afzalsagar the worst.
“These are low-lying areas surrounded by the Afzalsagar nala. During rain, our lanes are filled with water up to five feet, as there is no exit point. This causes property loss,” Mangotri Bai, of Mangar Basti, said.
Mohammed Ahmed, a retired police officer residing in the area, said: “Rainwater gets collected near Arif Rizwan and the west zone DCP office, blocking traffic. I have suffered injuries after my bike skidded on the slippery road.”
“I request the representatives to install stormwater drains and replace the Nizam-era four-inch drain pipes with new eight-inch lines to stop the chocking of drains in low-lying areas of Mangar Basti, Afzalsagar, Habeebnagar, Charkindil, and Agapura,” Ahmed said.
Another major concern for residents is the stray dog menace.
“My eight-year-old son was badly bitten by a stray dog while playing at the Red Hills playground. Two stray dogs loitering near a garbage dump pounced on him and bit him on his right leg. Luckily, a mechanic who runs a shed nearby saved my son by hurling stones at the dogs. We have complained to the GHMC, but to date, they have not taken any action,” Mahabub Bee, a local, said.
Another resident, Shaik Ahmed, said unsocial elements consume drugs near the Hockey Ground in Vijaynagar Colony.
“Several times, we have informed the local police, but no action has been taken so far. We have stopped using the lane; instead, we are using the Tyabba hotel lane to reach our destination,” Akbar Hussain, another resident, said.
