Hyderabad: A key meeting was held on Thursday to tackle Hyderabad’s traffic and flooding problems. The meeting was led by Mr. P. Vishwaprasad, Additional Commissioner of City Traffic, and Mr. A.V. Ranganath, Commissioner of Hydra. Important officials from both the traffic and Hydra departments, including Deputy Commissioners of Police (DCPs), Assistant Commissioners of Police (ACPs), and traffic inspectors, also attended.
The main focus was on improving coordination between the Hydra team and the traffic department. One important decision was to train Disaster Response Force (DRF) teams from Hydra in traffic management. This will help them manage traffic during heavy rains and natural disasters.
It was also agreed that DRF personnel would help clear roads and manage traffic during floods. The traffic police will work with these teams to handle waterlogging in areas that are prone to flooding. They plan to act quickly to remove water from these areas.
The review identified 144 waterlogging spots across the city, with 65 of them located within Hyderabad. To address these, officials plan to use high-powered motors to remove water and improve drainage systems. They discussed long-term solutions, such as cleaning drains and adding new drainage lines, to prevent flooding in the future.
Another issue discussed was the illegal occupation of footpaths by permanent shops, especially on main roads and in residential areas. Officials plan to launch a campaign to clear these footpaths and inform shop owners to vacate the space. This will make walking easier and safer for residents.
The meeting highlighted the need for cooperation between Hydra, the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC), and the traffic department to improve footpaths. They also plan to remove obstacles like transformers, telephone ducts, and garbage bins from walkways.
Officials also stressed the importance of identifying trees and branches that might fall during storms. Public awareness programs will be started to help citizens know how to contact response teams during traffic disruptions and floods.
The overall goal is to make Hyderabad a traffic-free city with the help of citizens. The Traffic and Hydra departments will meet monthly to review their progress and plan future steps to improve traffic conditions and city infrastructure.
