HYDRAA Commissioner orders improvement of drainage system

Commissioner Ranganath  instructed officials to cover open drains with protective grills after the desilting work is completed, while ensuring that the grills can be opened at intervals of every three meters 

Metro India News | Hyderabad 

Emphasizing that Hyderabad can be protected from urban flooding only if stormwater drains flow freely, HYDRAA Commissioner A.V. Ranganath noted that the current situation is far from ideal. To assess the situation on the ground, the Commissioner conducted a field inspection in and around Jubilee Gardens in Kondapur, accompanied by Traffic Joint Commissioner of Police D. Joel Davis and officials from various departments. During the inspection, officials reviewed the drainage network that carries rainwater from Botanical Gardens, Sriram Nagar, and the Kondapur Police Battalion area toward Mondi Kunta near Meenakshi Towers.

From there, the water is expected to flow through an outlet into Mullakathva Lake and eventually reach the Musi River. However, the natural flow has been severely disrupted due to hundreds of meters of drain slabs, heavy silt accumulation, and blockages within the drainage channels. Officials observed that as a result of these obstructions, rainwater is unable to pass through the drainage system efficiently, leading to recurrent flooding in the Jubilee Gardens locality during periods of heavy rainfall.  In addition, the laying of utility pipelines and deficiencies in sewage diversion works have further aggravated the flooding problem in the area. Following the Commissioner's directions, large-scale desilting operations and the removal of obstructing slabs were initiated in the Jubilee Gardens area beginning Saturday.

Commissioner Ranganath  instructed officials to cover open drains with protective grills after the desilting work is completed, while ensuring that the grills can be opened at intervals of every three meters to facilitate future maintenance and cleaning. He directed HYDRAA Asset Inspectors and officials from the irrigation, municipal, revenue, police and traffic departments to work in close coordination and implement a permanent solution within a week.