ROAD DIGGING GOES ON UNABATED DESPITE BAN
Despite the ban on road digging, several government and private agencies continue to dig up roads at several locations in the city.
Agencies involved in installation of the CCTV cameras, and repairing sewerage and water pipelines continue to work after the ban order of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC). They have also not put up any signs warning of ongoing work which is dangerous.
The Corporation issued ban orders on May 22 to stop all road cutting activities for laying of utility services by Telangana state transmission corporation (TS Transco), the Telangana State Southern Power Distribution Company Limited (TSSPDCL), Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWS&SB) and all other agencies by May 25.
The corporation had earlier accorded permission to cut road length of 14 km to install CCTV cameras at 800 locations, to dig 41 km to Water Board, 20 km to TSSPDCL and about 50 km to all other agencies.
Highly placed sources said the road cutting permission was given to these agencies in February but not even 50 per cent of the work has been completed.
Now with the monsoons approaching they are in a hurry to complete the work.
The Water Board which has been carrying out pipeline repairs has not restored the roads it has dug up properly; the stretch from Banjara Hills Road No 2 to Prashasannagar in Jubilee Hills is an example.
The agency carrying out CCTV installations at multiple locations including Kukatpally, Banjara Hills, Tarnaka, Moosapet, Amberpet, Uppal, West Marredpally and Secunderabad has continued its work since May 26 which has been ignored by corporation officials.
Chief Engineer (Maintenance) Mohamed. Ziauddin said that the private agency installing the CCTV cameras has taken permission only to dig pits and not cut the roads.
He said that the corporation has passed clear orders that no new road cutting can be done after May 26 and all ongoing work should be restored by May 31.
He said that the corporation will initiate stringent action against all violators.
When asked about the road cutting by government agencies, Mr Ziauddin said that they have been carrying out restoration work which has to be completed by May 31.