Hyderabad is facing a rainy season, and the Hyderabad Disaster Management and Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA) is taking steps to manage the stormwater drains. Their teams are working to clear blockages to prevent urban flooding.
On Friday, they focused on clearing obstacles in Nallagandla. This is part of building a new 2-kilometer drainage canal from Nallagandla Lake. This canal is crucial for managing floodwaters and is part of the Strategic Nala Development Programme (SNDP).
Progress on the canal was delayed by encroachments along its path. Some property owners removed illegal structures voluntarily, but others did not, causing delays. With only 230 meters of work done, SNDP sought help from HYDRAA. Residents from flood-prone areas also called for urgent action.
In HUDA Colony, an apartment wall and other structures blocked the canal path. Similar issues occurred in other areas. On Friday, HYDRAA removed these illegal constructions, allowing work to continue.
The canal route includes Doctors Colony, Rail Vihar, Nallagandla HUDA Colony, Old Serilingampally Village, and Netaji Nagar, leading to the main nala at BHEL Crossroads. These locations often flood during monsoons due to blocked drains.
HYDRAA also cleared debris from blocked drains, culverts, and canals across the city. With a lot of waste dumped into open nalas, the HYDRAA Monsoon Emergency Team (MET) and Disaster Response Force (DRF) prioritized cleaning these areas.
In Madhuranagar and Krishnanagar, waste was effectively removed. Similar efforts took place in Janardhan Reddy Nagar in Gachibowli and Markandeya Colony in Kapra Circle. They used JCB machinery to clean the nala from Mantrala Cheruvu to Jillelaguda Cheruvu, near RCI Road and Mithila Nagar in LB Nagar Circle.
On Thursday, HYDRAA Commissioner AV Ranganath inspected major drains and flood-prone areas. Seeing the encroachments, he ordered their removal immediately. He emphasized that preventing flooding is everyone’s responsibility this year.
