Hyderabad: With no rainfall in the past few days, the Hyderabad Disaster Response and Awareness Association (HYDRAA) has initiated a forceful clean-up drive in the city’s nalas and culverts to avoid flooding when there are future rains.
The civic body has positioned 150 Monsoon Emergency Teams (METs) and 51 Disaster Response Force (DRF) units to clear piled-up silt, plastic debris, and trash from drainage channels and catchpits.
The cleanup drive is targeted at areas most prone to waterlogging and overflow, said GHMC officials.
Large quantities of silt and plastic trash were cleared from stormwater drains in Madhuranagar, Krishnanagar (Yousufguda), and Janardhan Reddy Nagar (Gachibowli). Silt was removed from catchpit places of Markandeya Colony in Kapra Circle’s Ward No 2.
A large-scale clean-up was also undertaken in the nala between Mantrala Cheruvu and Jillelaguda Cheruvu near RC Road and Mithilanagar in LB Nagar.
Most of the manholes were clogged with strata of sand, and some of the culverts had no discernible flow due to clogging. Officials stated that in some areas, nala traces had virtually disappeared under dumps of garbage.
HYDRAA officials stated that the absence of rain is being taken advantage of, strategically being used to carry out flood-prevention activities. The teams are working intensively across GHMC boundaries, including desilting work at about 940 culvert points.
In collaboration with GHMC’s engineering department and SNDP engineers, HYDRAA is also correcting unauthorized encroachments and congestion points that hinder unhindered water flow.
Officials are confident this initiative will go a long way in minimizing the risk of city flooding, particularly during intense spells of rain expected later in the monsoon season.
