The Times of India         27.09.2010

Nala widening works: GHMC faces an uphill task

HYDERABAD: Several storm water drains (nalas) are overflowing and inundating abutting colonies due to the incessant rains, posing threat to life and property. Age-old narrow drains and shoddy silt clearing operations are prime reasons for inundation of these colonies.

For nearly four years, Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) officials sat on nala-widening works and when it dawned on them that over

Rs 200 crore granted under Jawaharlal National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) would lapse, they got down to complete the impossible task of widening nalas within six months.

GHMC's engineering wing has an `uphill task' to remove 2,000 encroachments on nalas, acquire land and spend about Rs 200 crore on about 10 nalas in just six months time.

Nala-widening and modernisation is required on major and secondary nalas to prevent inundation and water stagnation in several colonies in the city, especially along the channels. Since widening has not been completed, whenever it rains, colonies like Prakashnagar Extension in Begumpet face inundation threat.

The Union urban development ministry had sanctioned Rs 142 crore in 2006 under JNNURM for four major nalas like Muriki nala, Kukatpally nala, Picket nala and Balkapur Channel, which empty their contents into the Hussainsagar, and another Rs 124 crore in 2008 for widening of secondary nalas like Nagamaiah Kunta nala, Punjagutta nala, Yellareddyguda nala and Yousufguda nala.

Along these nalas there are over 2,000 encroachments, which had come up in the past 20 years, and officials have been facing problems in removing or acquiring land for widening them.

Of over 2,000 structures, GHMC officials could complete only 150 to 200 structures for widening and could spend about Rs 50 crore of Rs 266 crore sanctioned under JNNURM.

Apart from this, the GHMC has partially completed widening of the Hussainsagar surplus nala, which flows from Marriott hotel to Amberpet where it merges with Musi river, has over 1,000 encroachments. The state government a few years ago sanctioned Rs 40 crore under the Mega City project. Officials completed works for the funds sanctioned and left it incomplete.

For the sanctioned nalas, GHMC completed the tender process last month and works have been awarded to contractors. The contractors were told to complete works within six months. However, the condition is that the municipal corporation has to handover `the site', devoid of encroachments, to the contractors for taking up these works.

GHMC officials said there are over 500 structures on Muriki nala alone, 85 on Kukatpally nala, 200 on Nagamaiah Kunta, 60 encroachments on Punjagutta nala, 75 on Yellareddyguda nala and 150 encroachments on Yousufguda nala.

As a result of this, only five packages of total 15 packages for those tenders were finalised. "The only nala which is cleared for taking up works is the Picket nala, where 37 encroachments were removed for widening, and works there have begun," a senior GHMC official said.

The monsoon this year was a blessing in disguise to GHMC officials as what they could not accomplish in two decades the rains have done in the past few months, claring over 100 encroachments that have come up on the banks of these nalas.

Official said in the last few years widening works were taken up along the storm water drains where there were no encroachments. While the requirement is 19-22 metres for nala portion, the existing width is between 6 metres and 12 metres. "Political parties and people's representatives have to come forward to convince locals to part with their land for widening of nalas," another official opined.