Hyderabad: A section of the road along the nala on the Darussalam to Chaknawadi stretch in Goshamahal collapsed early Wednesday morning. As the incident occurred around 2 am, no one was harmed, said officials.
Approximately 200 metres away, a part of the same nala collapsed in 2022, resulting in minor injuries to vegetable vendors and customers. While Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) officials said that they are yet to ascertain the cause of the collapse, residents attributed it to the deteriorating condition of the nala, which has weakened over time.
“Three months ago, a section of the road collapsed when a truck lost control. Fortunately, no one was harmed. We have repeatedly voiced our concerns about the 50-year-old nala, which poses a risk to the local community. Despite numerous requests for the civic body to undertake necessary repairs promptly, they re-carpeted the road rather than restructuring the nala,” said Pavan Singh, a resident of the locality.
Locals noted that the road, which has served the community for half a century, has been showing signs of wear and tear for some time. “While we have raised concerns about the condition of the road and reported it to the GHMC multiple times, no action has been taken to repair it,” said Y Naveen, reiterating that the lack of maintenance and timely intervention led to the collapse of the road, which measures 40 feet in length and 10 feet in width.
The incident caused inconvenience to residents and business owners, who woke up to the collapsed road on Wednesday. “Our area attracts customers from different locations who rely on local carpentry services and place orders. However, due to the current situation, these customers will have to postpone their requirements until the road is restored,” said trader T Ramesh, demanding immediate repairs to the affected section. Locals also demanded a comprehensive assessment of the entire nala to identify and rectify weak spots.
Sepaking about the incident, an official from the engineering wing of the GHMC stated, “We are currently assessing the incident and identifying the factors that led to the caving in of the road in to initiate appropriate measures to address the issue and prevent similar occurrences in the future.”
