New LMA Constructions Raise Traffic Concerns in Bolaram

Hyderabad: Residents of Yapral and Bolaram fear massive traffic disruptions and a rise in pollution when schools reopen next week, after the Local Military Authority (LMA) began construction on an open ground outside Kendriya Vidyalaya (KV) Bolaram that has long functioned as the primary parking space for school and commercial vehicles.

The site, measuring around 1.5 to 2 acres, is used daily by school buses, autos, tempos, trucks and private vehicles catering to KV Bolaram, Valerian Grammar School and Valerian Academy.

Construction began during the summer break, and residents say the absence of traffic during the holidays masked the disruption that the project could cause once the schools reopen.

“They started work when schools were shut, so no one realised the consequences. But next week, once buses and cars return, we’re going to see complete gridlock,” said Pankaj Sethi, a Yapral resident. “The AQI is good now, hovering around 40, but idling vehicles along narrow lanes near homes will soon make it worse.”

Generals Road, which connects Yapral to Bolaram and passes alongside KV Bolaram, is already too narrow to handle two-way traffic comfortably.

Residents fear that without the parking ground, both heavy and light vehicles will be forced to wait for school dispersals along this stretch, causing hours of traffic build-up every day.

“The road is already difficult to navigate. If autos, buses and trucks start queuing up outside homes, it’s going to paralyse the area,” said Mohan Guruswamy, another long-time resident.

Residents say the construction appears to be a permanent pucca structure, with multiple marked plots measuring around 1,100 to 1,200 square feet each.

There is no official signage or indication of the purpose of the project, and the work began without any public notice, consultation with local residents, or intimation to those who regularly use the space.

“No one was informed. There was no conversation, no public announcement. It just began overnight,” said CS Chandrashekhar, the secretary of the Federation of North Eastern Colonies of Secunderabad (FNECS).

The land is classified as A1 defence land, which is under military jurisdiction. Secunderabad Cantonment Board (SCB) CEO Madhukar Naik confirmed that the LMA does not require SCB permission to build on it. However, LMA officials have not commented on whether any internal orders or plans were issued for this particular project.

FNECS, which has filed an RTI seeking information about the construction, has demanded that the work be halted and the land restored for public parking. “This is not just a land use issue. It’s about public convenience, traffic safety, and the daily functioning of three schools and an entire neighbourhood,” said Guruswamy.

Pankaj added that while the military may not be bound to notify local residents, it has a civic duty to consider the fallout of its actions. “Even if it is Army land, they are part of this city too. You can’t ignore how people will be affected, students crossing roads, autos blocking bylanes, families breathing polluted air.”

The site is also located close to Kowkur, where ongoing disputes over overlapping defence and civil land claims have drawn public attention. Residents said the lack of dialogue around the current construction reflects a broader pattern of unilateral decisions affecting civilian life without accountability.

“We are not against the LMA or development,” Chandrashekhar said. “But development must work with the people who live here, not bulldoze over their daily needs.”