Have city roads turned into death traps?

A look at the city roads can tell one the hardships faced by commuters everyday. It is nothing less than battling a survival war when it comes to riding on the roads mined with potholes and craters.

 The roads have turned into death-traps.  A dozen accident cases are reported everyday from every nook and corner of the city. In most of them, motorists skid off their vehicles due to the potholes.

 Still, the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) officials have been demurring from their duties of re-carpeting of the battered roads.

 However, it is not just rains gutting the roads, but the unauthorised digging by cable agencies and the Water Board is equally causing inconvenience to commuters.

 With the International Bio-diversity Conference (CoP-11), to be held from October 1 to 19 in the city, draws closer, re-carpeting of the roads is unlikely to be completed in time.

 GHMC mayor M Majid Hussain hasz expressed his anguish over the pathetic condition of the roads, stating that they are not fit for driving.

 “The corporation collects huge property tax, but it is least bothered about providing safe roads,’’ says Muralikrishna, an employee of a software company in Ameerpet.

 The countless potholes on the roads got me severe backache and I had to spend Rs 1,500 for the repair of my vehicle when it slipped into a crater, laments Hydergudaresident Sridhar.

 Upset over the bad condition of the roads, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) corporators led by Singireddy Srinivasa Reddy lodged their protest by locking up the GHMC head office on Tank Road for few hours recently.

 The condition of the roads can be attributed to a number of factors like bad-riding quality, poor geo-metrics and insufficient pavement thickness, Singireddy told Express, adding that The residents and shopkeepers have been complaining about clouds of dust rising from damaged roads in various parts of the twin cities.

 Though the mayor directed the zonal commissioners recently to issue show-cause notices to the circle deputy municipal commissioner for their negligent attitude, the situation continues to be worsening.

 It may be noted that the GHMC made some roadrepair work last year, with Rs 4 crore, and has allotted Rs 22 crore for this year.

 Despite all this, officials seem to have failed in taking any action.

 The stretch at busy areas such as Ameerpet, Erragadda, Sanathnagar, Fathenagar, S R Nagar, Panjagutta, Khairatabad, Abids, Koti, Somajiguda, Nampally, Mehidipatnam, Greenlands and Secunderabad are completely damaged.

 The city traffic police has identified 50 stretches that need black-topping after road widening works are taken by GHMC.  In addition to this, there are 50 stretches damaged due to rain and regular wear and tear. Overloading is another reason for the bad condition of the roads.