Poor civic infra left Warangal inundated

Hyderabad: Big plans to expand storm water drains (nalas), improve sewer network, ensure planned growth and beautification of Warangal were drawn up over the years, but have remained mostly on paper. Last week’s rain exposed the poor civic infrastructure in Warangal, the second largest city in the state.
Urban planners claim Warangal is facing problems Greater Hyderabad has been facing due to lack of proper storm water drains, encroachment of nalas and lakes.Several colonies got inundated in Warangal, a city of nearly nine lakh population, because of inadequate storm water drains, rampant encroachments and lack of underground sewer system. Municipal, revenue and irrigation officials have turned a blind eye on unauthorised layouts and buildings in lakebeds and within full tank level (FTL) of Bhadrakali Cheruvu and Gopalpur Cheruvu. Locals say even function halls were constructed on lakebeds and nalas in the past 10 years.
Greater Warangal Municipal Corporation (GWMC) officials said 415 structures were earlier identified abutting the nalas. “Of the 415, 233 structures were found to be constructed with valid permission and no objection certificate from irrigation in the past 30 years, while the rest were bulldozed by January, 2020. A fresh enumeration of unauthorized constructions will be taken up by the task force committee,” GWMC commissioner Pamela Satpathy told TOI on Wednesday.