Tree branches near live wires raise safety fears ahead of Golconda Bonalu
HYDERABAD: As the Golconda Old City Bonalu festival approaches on August 9, a resident of LK Nagar, Amalapur, in the Karwan–Tappachabutra Division of GHMC’s Golconda Zone, says he has tried for more than two weeks to get officials to remove dangerous tree branches hanging over an electric pole and wires near a temple. Despite many people expected for the festival, his complaints have not been resolved.
Sai Shankar, the resident, told HyderabadMail that he first filed an online complaint using the MyGHMC (MyCURe) app on July 27. He reported that the tree branches could fall on an electric pole and wires close to the temple, a place that attracts large crowds during Bonalu.
Shankar said that after his complaint was registered and a ticket number was assigned, he called the officer in charge to follow up. The officer told him the department was busy with “Bonalu duties” and had other priorities. Shankar said the local corporator also spoke to the officer about the problem.
Around five days later, Shankar said a staff member called and said he would come to inspect the site. Shankar left work and waited at home for hours, but received a call at 4:35 PM saying the worker would not come after all.
Two days later, when Shankar followed up again, he says the officer told him she was too busy and did not have time for the complaint. Frustrated, he asked, “What exactly counts as a priority? Does it only become urgent if the branch falls on someone’s head?”
Three days ago, Shankar was told a worker would be sent, but no one showed up. Once again, he tried calling the officer and sent a message about the issue, but got no reply. He also posted about the problem on X (formerly Twitter).
Safety concern ahead of Bonalu
Shankar said he is frustrated not just by the delay, but also by the lack of communication from the department. Furthermore, “They should at least tell me if they will fix it or not, so I can look for other options,” he said. He added that waiting seven hours for a worker who never arrived was especially upsetting.
“There is a complete lack of responsibility,” Shankar said. Therefore, he called for better supervision of field staff so that complaints, especially those about public safety, are handled quickly rather than delayed.
This week, the location is even more important because the Golconda Old City Bonalu festival is on Sunday, August 9. As a consequence, Shankar said the temple area gets much more crowded during the festival, making the risk from the untrimmed branches near live wires and the pole even greater.
Shankar said he will share the exact location and photos to help document the issue. In addition, he is asking GHMC’s Golconda office to send a team to trim the branches before the festival crowds arrive. He also wants the department to make sure field staff are clearly responsible for responding to safety complaints.
