Manhole Collapse Sparks Concern in Old Malakpet

Speedy Summary

• A drain slab collapsed in Banjara Hills, Hyderabad, following heavy rains on Monday, causing a tanker to fall into the drain.
• A similar incident occurred on wednesday with a sewer manhole collapsing in Panchasheela, old malakpet.
• Previous collapses at Goshamahal’s Chaknawadi area caused notable damage to vehicles and losses to small traders.
• The city’s drainage infrastructure is aging; many drains are over 40 years old and constructed with Random Rubble masonry (RR masonry), unlike modern RCC structures.
• Hyderabad has a total of 1,302 kilometers of drainage network, 383 kilometers being major drains concentrated primarily in the city core.
• Maintenance has been neglected despite significant investments under the Strategic Nala Development Program.
• Officials attribute structural deterioration to factors like continuous sewage flow during dry seasons and chemical pollution corroding masonry materials. Methane gas from faecal waste further accelerates corrosion of structures.
• Effluents from dyeing units were identified as sources of rosy-tinted discharge seen in collapsed drains.

Indian Opinion Analysis

The recurring incidents of drainage collapses across Hyderabad highlight critical gaps in urban infrastructure maintenance despite large-scale investments under programmes such as the Strategic Nala Development Programme. While aging systems pose inherent risks-many exceeding functional lifespans-the broader neglect of regular upkeep exacerbates vulnerability during extreme weather events.

The physical deterioration due to chemical pollutants speaks to systemic inefficiencies in managing industrial waste and monitoring harmful practices like unregulated effluent dumping into city drains. These issues urge immediate prioritization towards preventive maintenance rather than reactive measures addressing specific collapse cases post-damage.

Given Hyderabad’s rapid urbanization, ensuring structurally sound stormwater management cannot be delayed without potential implications for public safety and damage to local businesses or property owners who rely heavily on operational urban systems for livelihoods.

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