Except for two major components of the project, all works of the Strategic Drainage Development Program (SNDP) within GHMC may be completed by the end of March, bringing relief to several areas of the city.
The two components for which work is yet to begin include the widening of the Hussainsagar surplus drain and the long-pending work on the Balkapur drain due to a standoff between the state government and the local military authority.
Officials say that as the issues with the defense establishment have been sorted out, work on the Balkapur nullah is also likely to start very soon and will be completed by the end of summer. The same cannot be assured about the Hussainsagar surplus drain, where property acquisition still remains a major bottleneck.
Out of a total of 52 works taken up under SNDP with an estimated expenditure of Rs 858 crore, 33 works fall under the purview of GHMC, while 19 works belong to the surrounding municipalities. Two of these works have been completed and officially started. Officials say six more have reached the stage of completion and the rest will be completed by the end of March.
The works on Balkapur Nala will be taken up soon in two packages, which have been shared with the Defense authorities. The first component is to install an interception and diversion structure to separate rainwater from sewage flow at the drain. Estimated ₹4.7 crore, the works are ready to start, and the tendering process has been completed.
The second part envisages bifurcating the nala and diverting the flow directly to Musi at Retibowli. This requires construction of a bypass box drain for a length of 745 meters up to Rethibovali Junction, from where the flow directly joins the Musi River.
The bypass drain measuring 3X1.5 meters will divert more than 30% of the flow from the main drain, thereby saving the residents of Khairatabad and Banjara Hills from flooding during heavy rains, informed Engineer-in-Chief, GHMC, Mohd Ziauddin did.
Despite its 12 m width and 1.2 m depth, the Balkapur Nala often gets submerged in many areas en route due to large scale encroachment. The bypass nullah will not only save the submergence areas from the nullah, but also reduce the inflow into the Hussainsagar lake, which will indirectly benefit the citizens in the areas which usually get submerged by the lake when it reaches its full tank level Is. The cost of box drain works is estimated at ₹9.7 crore.