Skip to main content

A technologically advanced city, time to probe: why Hyderabad roads quality is so poor

By Sudhansu R Das* 

The city of Hyderabad is growing in all directions at a rapid pace. But, the physical growth of the city does not commensurate with the safety of the Hyderabadis. High speed, drunken driving, driving with high beam, wrong lane driving, lack of pedestrian paths, bad road condition in many localities, endless road construction, defective curves, unmarked humps, potholes and manholes which are six to eight inches below the road surface etc cause deaths and injuries to innocent Hyderabadis. 
An analysis of data collated from the three police commissionerates -- Hyderabad, Cyberabad and Rachakonda – shows that the western zone registered close to 800 road accidents in 2023 that left 123 dead and 685 people injured. Narsingi, Madhapur, Gachibowli and Raidurgam have high rates of accidents. 
LB Nagar-Hayathnagar stretch on National Highway 65 connecting LB Nagar-Hayathnagar stretch has witnessed 400 accidents in 2023. The highway connecting Secunderabad-Medchal has had an alarming increase of road accidents in the last three years. The Telangana government can follow simple steps to safeguard precious lives, limbs and time of commuters who immensely contribute to the economic growth and prosperity of the state.
Despite this, the authorities release the full amount to the road contractors and do not even a minimum 30% of the total amount sanctioned for five years to ensure that the roads are worthy for making payment. There is little inspection after every monsoon, nor is penalty imposed on contractors if roads are damaged due to rain. 
Roads are made to withstand rain and bad roads only peel out after rain. The roads made in Dhulapally, Gandimausima, Gundlapochampally, Kompally, Bahadurpally and many other suburban areas were reconstructed last year. But in many places the poorly constructed roads show cracks and become dangerous for commuters.
Roads give life and livelihood to people; it saves time and money. It boosts business, tourism and the services. Good roads lay the foundation of economic prosperity. Bad roads give sufferings to people and bring downfall to political parties. Because the discontentment which brews among the commuters explode at the time of voting; sure defeat follows. Commuters always curse the politicians when they drive on bad roads. 
Economic activities collapse and underperform due to bad roads. Yet, there is clear message to the road contractors that they should mend their ways and build quality roads. The builders who damage public roads due to construction activities should be asked to rebuild the roads immediately. 
 Pedestrian paths should be compulsory everywhere and the pedestrian paths should always be freed from encroachment. Road signs and sign boards should carry the names of places in trilingual; it should be put in every square to make driving easier for domestic and foreign tourists.
Hyderabad is a technologically advanced city. The city can live up to its reputation if it puts in place a surveillance mechanism to nab the drivers who drive at high speed and those who use high beams. Hundreds of commuters who use two wheelers face accidents daily in Hyderabad due to high beam and errant driving. 
The surveillance gazette can catch errand drivers and issue e-challans; it will add to the state’s revenue. At the same time, the state government should ensure that the surveillance and road monitoring should not harass innocent commuters. Motorcycle borne hawk squad should be in readiness to chase and catch those who violate road rules. Instant punishment will bring discipline to the roads.
Adequate open space should be provided for vehicle parking since people pay hefty road tax in Telangana. People will no longer park on the roadside. A state of the art reliable and comfortable town bus system should connect each part of the city; it will reduce the number of private vehicles on the road. 
 Meter reading should be compulsory for auto rickshaws. The Sikkim government has established road discipline in the state with strict monitoring. The Telangana government can follow the best practices followed in other Indian states to ensure road discipline; it is very essential for inclusive growth.
The western zone of Hyderabad registered close to 800 road accidents in 2023, leaving 123 dead and 685 injured
If Andhra Pradesh prospers under the septuagenarian leader, Chandrababu Naidu, it will attract the Andhra people to go back to their home state. Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand states became fully operational within two years of their formation. It is not understood why it has taken more than 10 years to shift the State and Central government offices to Andhra Pradesh from Hyderabad. The State and the Central government offices should immediately function in Andhra Pradesh for better implementation of government projects; it will save crores of rupees towards official tours. Shifting of offices to Andhra Pradesh will reduce the traffic pressure on roads.
The omni directional growth of Hyderabad is an additional burden on the state as it is not possible to provide good roads to such a vast area. The best solution is the government should develop the existing towns in the periphery of Hyderabad instead of letting Hyderabad expand; the rapid expansion eats up the priceless granary around the city which can be used for food production since water and food will become scarce all over the world. 
The city needs native trees, buffer forest zones, open space, water bodies, rock gardens and hills for its own survival. Indians should have their own vision of development; they should not propagate and follow the lifeless growth story of other countries like any other backward country and end up destroying both urban and rural areas. 
Hyderabad was full of life, livelihood and immense tourism potential. It had all the elements for a balanced growth. Industry, skills, manpower, natural sector, farming, fishery, agriculture, tourism and handicraft making can be combined to create a dream city which will be worth emulating for the entire country. 
If only five big lakes of Hyderabad are revived, it will meet the fish and water requirement of the entire city. If all the lakes in Telangana are revived with people’s participation, it will boost the fish export from the state and increase the farm production ten fold; it will increase the employment opportunities to an unbelievable level. Good safe roads always link the scopes of development. 
Let us provide safe good roads to Hydrabadis who have immensely contributed to build Hyderabad with their hard work, sweat and tears.

Comments

TRENDING

Gujarat Information Commission issues warning against misinterpretation of RTI orders

By A Representative   The Gujarat Information Commission (GIC) has issued a press note clarifying that its orders limiting the number of Right to Information (RTI) applications for certain individuals apply only to those specific applicants. The GIC has warned that it will take disciplinary action against any public officials who misinterpret these orders to deny information to other citizens. The press note, signed by GIC Secretary Jaideep Dwivedi, states that the Right to Information Act, 2005, is a powerful tool for promoting transparency and accountability in public administration. However, the commission has observed that some applicants are misusing the act by filing an excessive number of applications, which disproportionately consumes the time and resources of Public Information Officers (PIOs), First Appellate Authorities (FAAs), and the commission itself. This misuse can cause delays for genuine applicants seeking justice. In response to this issue, and in acc...

A comrade in culture and controversy: Yao Wenyuan’s revolutionary legacy

By Harsh Thakor*  This year marks two important anniversaries in Chinese revolutionary history—the 20th death anniversary of Yao Wenyuan, and the 50th anniversary of his seminal essay "On the Social Basis of the Lin Biao Anti-Party Clique". These milestones invite reflection on the man whose pen ignited the first sparks of the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution and whose sharp ideological interventions left an indelible imprint on the political and cultural landscape of socialist China.

'MGNREGA crisis deepening': NSM demands fair wages and end to digital exclusions

By A Representative   The NREGA Sangharsh Morcha (NSM), a coalition of independent unions of MGNREGA workers, has warned that the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) is facing a “severe crisis” due to persistent neglect and restrictive measures imposed by the Union Government.

Gandhiji quoted as saying his anti-untouchability view has little space for inter-dining with "lower" castes

By A Representative A senior activist close to Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) leader Medha Patkar has defended top Booker prize winning novelist Arundhati Roy’s controversial utterance on Gandhiji that “his doctrine of nonviolence was based on an acceptance of the most brutal social hierarchy the world has ever known, the caste system.” Surprised at the police seeking video footage and transcript of Roy’s Mahatma Ayyankali memorial lecture at the Kerala University on July 17, Nandini K Oza in a recent blog quotes from available sources to “prove” that Gandhiji indeed believed in “removal of untouchability within the caste system.”

Targeted eviction of Bengali-speaking Muslims across Assam districts alleged

By A Representative   A delegation led by prominent academic and civil rights leader Sandeep Pandey  visited three districts in Assam—Goalpara, Dhubri, and Lakhimpur—between 2 and 4 September 2025 to meet families affected by recent demolitions and evictions. The delegation reported widespread displacement of Bengali-speaking Muslim communities, many of whom possess valid citizenship documents including Aadhaar, voter ID, ration cards, PAN cards, and NRC certification. 

'Centre criminally negligent': SKM demands national disaster declaration in flood-hit states

By A Representative   The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) has urged the Centre to immediately declare the recent floods and landslides in Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Uttarakhand, and Haryana as a national disaster, warning that the delay in doing so has deepened the suffering of the affected population.

Saffron Kingdom – a cinematic counter-narrative to The Kashmir Files

By Syed Ali Mujtaba*  “Saffron Kingdom” is a film produced in the United States by members of the Kashmiri diaspora, positioned as a response to the 2022 release “The Kashmir Files.” While the latter focused on the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits and framed Kashmiri Muslims as perpetrators of violence, “Saffron Kingdom” seeks to present an alternate perspective—highlighting the experiences of Kashmiri Muslims facing alleged abuses by Indian security forces.

'Govts must walk the talk on gender equality, right to health, human rights to deliver SDGs by 2030'

By A Representative  With just 64 months left to deliver on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), global health and rights advocates have called upon governments to honour their commitments on gender equality and the human right to health. Speaking ahead of the 80th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), experts warned that rising anti-rights and anti-gender pushes are threatening hard-won progress on SDG-3 (health and wellbeing) and SDG-5 (gender equality).

From lazy to lost? The myths and realities behind generational panic about youth

By Bhabani Shankar Nayak   Older generations in many societies often describe the young with labels such as “lazy, unproductive, lost, anxious, depoliticised, unpatriotic or wayward.” Others see them as “social media, mobile phone and porn addicts.” Such judgments arise from a generational anxiety rooted in fears of losing control and from distorted perceptions about youth, especially in the context of economic crises, conflicts, and wars in which many young lives are lost.