Shaikpet potholes: Father, two children injured after bike falls on damaged road
HYDERABAD: A stretch of road opposite the Seetharamanjaneya Swamy Temple in Shaikpet has stayed broken for so long that this morning, a father riding a bike with his two school-going children fell after he hit a pothole. Meanwhile, local social activist Naresh Kottam has raised the issue with GHMC for months.
Naresh tagged GHMC’s official handle and the GHMC Commissioner on social media, demanding quick repair of damaged roads at Shaikpet, Seetha Nagar, and opposite Ramalayam. He said the road’s poor condition is not just a recent problem, but it has lasted for a long time, even though officials approved it for repair.
Speaking to HyderabadMail, Naresh said the road was approved for redevelopment, a project worth about Rs 45 lakh, covering the main stretch and a small extra section. But officials never finished the work. “Even after making repeated requests, they haven’t laid the road or completed proper patchwork,” he said.
Naresh described the morning’s incident, saying a father was riding a two-wheeler with his two children in front when the bike fell. Furthermore, he said the stretch connects Puppalguda, Manikonda, and the Outer Ring Road (ORR), and serves traffic coming from Shaikpet Nala and Seven Tombs. He said the continued poor condition affects daily commuters and local residents alike.
Further, Naresh added he has raised the issue many times through the “Praja Vani” grievance redressal program held every Monday. In addition, he said there are still 12 or 13 tickets open and unresolved. He said officials have admitted the delay. “When I called last Monday, they admitted delay,” he said. “They know about the issue, but they are not taking action.”
Naresh said part of the delay is due to an administrative reshuffle. Specifically, the area’s jurisdiction moved from the Khairatabad zone to the Golconda zone, which now is understaffed. He also said GHMC and the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWSSB) do not well coordinate. Workers leave road sections unrestored after digging them up for water works. “They come, dig up the road, and leave. In the end, citizens suffer,” he said.
He said the urgency is because of the Shaikpet Bonalu festival, which happens every two years on the main road from Ramalayam to Gutta Pochamma temple. Organizers have scheduled this year’s festival for August 9 and 10. The festival draws large crowds for the Thottelu (ritual offering) procession and the chariot procession along the same stretch. He said the road is currently full of potholes.
He said women are going to face a lot of trouble this time. Moreover, he added that overflowing drains and massive potholes are problems across nearby localities like Vinoba Nagar (Phases 1 and 2), Vinayak Nagar, Vivekananda Nagar, and Shivaji Nagar. “Wherever you look, drains are overflowing, it’s the same in every lane. There are massive potholes everywhere.”
With the festival about two weeks away, Naresh is asking GHMC’s Golconda zone office to finish permanent repairs on the Shaikpet stretch before the crowds gather. He wants them to stop patching the road in ways that fail repeatedly.
