Panchavati colony residents warn of flood threat from Bulkapur Nala filling
HYDERABAD: With the monsoon weeks away, Manikonda residents are raising urgent concerns about flood preparedness. Residents of Panchavati Colony have sounded the alarm over ongoing civil works inside Bulkapur Nala, fearing that filling the natural drainage system could create a disaster.
Against this backdrop, in a formal letter to the HYDRAA Commissioner A V Ranganath, Sitaram Dhulipala called for an immediate halt and scientific review of the project. Dhulipala, President of Panchavati Colony RWA and Founding Chairman of The Citizens Council, said the works, originally tendered for stormwater drain improvements on Pandenvagu, are being carried out inside Bulkapur Nala near Panchavati Colony under the Strategic Nala Development Program(SNDP).
The letter further explains that feeder channels from Yellamma Cheruvu and Malkam Cheruvu flow into Bulkapur Nala, which then leads to Neknampur Pedda Cheruvu via Pandenvagu. These interconnected water bodies are crucial for managing flood flows during heavy rainfall.
Despite these connections, Dhulipala observed that a substantial portion of Bulkapur Nala near Panchavati Colony has been filled with soil for the ongoing construction. As a result, Sitaram Dhulipala warns that the project may not have adequately considered flood carrying capacity, inflows, and outflows during heavy monsoon spells.
Consequently, residents fear that continued narrowing and obstruction of the nala could cause upstream floodwaters to choke at the Panchavati Colony bottleneck during a heavy downpour. The letter warns this could lead to severe flooding, hardship for local families, and require large-scale disaster management intervention. Furthermore, Dhulipala said that, despite previously bringing the issue to the Manikonda Municipality, there are no visible signs of monsoon-preparatory work as the rainy season approaches.
In light of these concerns, the plea urges HYDRAA, as the state’s disaster management authority, to take urgent preventive steps: inspect Bulkapur Nala and its feeder channels, scrutinize the SNDP project methodology for alignment with natural drainage, scientifically assess flood carrying capacity before further work, and ensure no obstruction to natural water flow channels.
The letter concludes that preventive action now would help avoid future disaster and safeguard residents of Panchavati Colony and downstream areas.
