‘Are we worth just Rs 20?’

Residents of one of the rain-hit areas, Nagamaiah Kunta, are seething with anger at the “pathetic response” of the officials and the government to the flooding that has damaged their houses. Although the water has receded and the locality has been cleared of debris, they are still worried that the same nightmare might recur.

“I had to watch my house getting flooded. This happens every year, and we are at our wit’s end,” lamented Bellamma who claims to have lost a lot. D Murali, another resident, pointed helplessly at the debris of a wall

that collapsed at the nala. “The flooding was a direct result of the wall collapse. It happens not just in rainy season, but whenever it rains even a little heavily. The authorities are so lax that even if we report it to the media, they don’t respond,” he said.

Aruna, one of the residents, was among those with whom Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy interacted during his visit on Saturday. She lost some of her belongings and books of her sons in the rain. “We are being given 20 kilos of rice. Nobody comes to do anything about this problem. Last time, we got food for three days, including rice, and vegetables besides, bed sheets, sarees, kerosene and other things. One kilo of rice is worth just `1. So does it mean that we are worth `20?” she questioned angrily.

Most of residents feel that this was just a one-time response and are not hopeful that there will be any sort of reaction from the GHMC if their houses get flooded again. GHMC officials, however have a different tale to tell. MSS Somaaraju, Dep. Muncipal Commisioner, circle 9 explained that the project department had taken up works to expand the nala so that such incidents do not occur but met with stiff resistance from residents. “In this case, water flowing backwards also caused the floods,” he said.

R. Dhan Singh, engineer-in-chief, GHMC said such areas were built on lakes. “This is inevitable and although the government sanctioned Rs 12 crore to expand nala in Nagamaiah Kunta and other surrounding areas, residents and politicians did not allow the work to commence. This is bound to happen as lot of such areas have been built on lakes. We have been trying to commence works, but there is always some resistance.  In fact, some of the residents took the matter to court when we tried to expand the nala in 2011, and the court decided in our favour,” he told City Express.