Hyderabad: The recent incident in which a water tanker fell into a drain after the road caved-in following heavy rainfall at Roah Number 1 in Banjara Hills is not a one-off case in the city.Reports pointed out that Hyderabad has witnessed at least 15 similar incidents in recent years, particularly in areas such as Goshamahal, Malakpet, Himayatnagar, Kukatpally and Banjara Hills.In some areas, it has even happened more than once. Goshamahal, for instance, has experienced at least six cases of roads caving in. Malakpet recorded at least two cases, while Banjara Hills saw three, including the recent incident.While civic officials blame ageing drainage infrastructure for these incidents, locals cite the poor quality of the roads as a contributing factor.“This week, when the road caved in, officials attributed it to the roots of a nearby banyan tree breaking a sewer line. But if the roads were stronger and more solidly built, it wouldn’t have collapsed so easily,” said Akshay Kumar, a Malakpet resident.Seconding Akshay, P Srinivas, a retired security supervisor staying in Malakpet since 1952, also blames the poor upkeep of the roads. “In previous incidents, the banyan tree played no part and the road collapsed simply because it could not withstand the rain,” he said.“The road here was shoddily relaid after an earlier incident. If it had been a smaller vehicle, someone could have died,” said Aman Alagh, a Banjara Hills Road Number 1 resident, referring to Tuesday’s incident.Meanwhile, Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) officials say the primary reason for the recurring road cave-in incidents is the ageing underground drainage system.“Most of the drains are over 30 years old, in a dilapidated condition, and in need of repair,” said Vijay Kumar, a GHMC official working with the engineering department, Jubilee Hills circle.Officials also cite increased traffic and the mixing of sewer and drainage lines as other reasons for road cave-in incidents.“When the road is exposed to chemicals in sewage, it can seriously damage its condition. Moreover, these slabs were built 50 or 60 years ago and are not suitable for handling today’s traffic volumes,” said MV Radhika, a GHMC official working in the engineering department from the Goshamahal circle.Atul Kumar, a contractor entrusted by the GHMC to repair the Malakpet drain, says that constructing reinforced cement concrete (RCC) pipes is the solution to prevent further incidents. “These pipes are stronger and more durable,” he said. QUOTEMost of these incidents happened because a heavy vehicle rode over what used to be an open drain that had been covered by cement. Right now, we are in the process of identifying and surveying drains all over the city. Most of these drains were built more than 20 years ago, and once we find out how many drains need repair, we will take the necessary action– RV Karnan, GHMC commissioner
