Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Water pipeline work chokes traffic

NO RESPITE: Traffic is reduced to a crawl as workers dig a trench to lay a water pipeline along the NFCL rotary-Punjagutta graveyard stretch.

HYDERABAD: There is no option but to bear with the slowdown in traffic movement from NFCL rotary to Punjagutta graveyard, at least for one more month.

Digging of the road at two points on this small stretch to lay drinking water pipeline has resulted traffic snarls during peak hours. As per the original plan, width of the road was supposed to be increased by taking space from the graveyard.

The graveyard’s old compound wall was demolished and new road was laid along it widening the road to accommodate nearly double the present volume of traffic.

Just when the work neared completion and commuters began to feel that they would get a respite from choked traffic, the water works department workers dug up the road -- first for few yards on a corner close to the rotary and then along the graveyard compound wall.

With this, the net road space available for commuters has become what it was when the road was not widened.

Mud and rubble further blocking a couple of feet road space, the vehicles are forced to move at a snail’s pace holding up traffic now and then.

It is choking the vehicle movement on the Punjagutta ‘Y’ flyover at times. Surprisingly, the flow of traffic from Punjagutta crossroads to the NFCL rotary is smooth and faster on either side of the flyover.

Punjagutta traffic ACP T. Ram Sudhakar says there is no alternative but to make the vehicles ply through whatever narrow passage is available. The metro water works secured permission and the work undertaken by it was also in the interest of public.

Diverting vehicles onto road no 4 or 7 of Banjara Hills would only mean even more chaos without any justification. “Hence we’re ensuring that the traffic moves though at slow pace in the same route,” he maintains. The pipeline laying work would take one more month for completion and public have to bear with traffic snarls that long.

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