Hyderabad was once a city that effortlessly blended natural beauty, cultural depth and urban charm. Its lakes shimmered like mirrors to the sky, its ancient rock formations stood like timeless sculptures, and its forests and hills wrapped the city in a pleasant climate. Villages around the city produced fresh food; artisans kept handicraft traditions alive; flora and fauna thrived. Good roads, heritage sites and mouthwatering local dishes completed the picture of a city that felt—quite genuinely—like a paradise on earth. Today, that paradise is under strain.
The Telangana government has unveiled an ambitious vision to transform Hyderabad into a global city over the next decade. Bharat Future City, a dedicated AI City, new airports, a 340‑km Regional Ring Road, Young India Skills University, the AIKAM Innovation Hub, metro rail expansion and rejuvenation of the Musi river are all part of this sweeping plan. The future city dream is bold and welcome, but the foundation on which such a dream must stand—basic urban infrastructure—is crumbling.
Good roads are the backbone of any thriving metropolis. They save lives, reduce fuel consumption, boost tourism, increase productivity and lower stress. Bad roads do the opposite: they cause accidents, inflate medical expenses, erode productivity and raise the cost of living. Except for a few pockets such as HITEC City, Banjara Hills and Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad’s roads have been deteriorating for nearly two decades. Many roads fail after a single monsoon. Even newly laid roads develop potholes within months, and waterlogging during rains turns commutes into hours-long ordeals.
The decline is visible everywhere. Alkapur Township, once known for excellent roads, now suffers from potholes, broken manholes and crude speed breakers. The stretch from Suchitra Circle to Medchal, once lined with majestic 50‑year‑old trees, has become a congested corridor due to an unfinished flyover and poorly maintained service roads. The newly built road from Gundlapochampally to Bahadurpally already has hundreds of potholes and damaged humps. The road from Dhulapally to Bahadurpally has eroded edges that endanger small vehicles, and the route from Dhulapally to Kukatpally through the industrial estate is barely motorable. The pattern is unmistakable: Hyderabad is expanding in every direction without the capacity to build and maintain durable roads.
Hyderabad’s 1.5 crore residents generate more than half of Telangana’s GDP, yet sustained growth is impossible without reliable infrastructure. Cities like Trivandrum, Bhubaneswar, Guwahati, Raipur and Bhopal have roads that last more than a decade. Hyderabad must adopt similar standards by awarding contracts only to reputed builders, delisting those who repeatedly deliver poor-quality work, and holding back a portion of project payments until roads survive at least five years.
Infrastructure maintenance also depends on civic sense. Residents often break speed breakers or cut roads to drain water from their homes. Large school buses enter narrow colony lanes, damaging roads that were never designed for heavy vehicles. Children should board buses at main roads or colony gates to prevent such damage. Without community discipline, even well-built roads deteriorate quickly.
The city’s road risks have reached alarming levels. Motorists often lose balance while navigating potholes or defective speed breakers, leading to collisions. Pedestrians are equally vulnerable. Telangana recorded 25,986 accidents in 2024, a 13.5 percent increase over the previous year—far above the national average. Between 2021 and July 2026, the state saw 1,34,686 accidents, causing 42,742 deaths and more than 1.17 lakh injuries. Hyderabad alone recorded 3,785 accidents in 2024, making it the third most accident-prone city in India.
The 158‑km Outer Ring Road (ORR), which has spurred real estate growth and eased inner-city traffic, is now witnessing a surge in fatal accidents. Deaths rose from 170 in 2022 to 216 in 2023. The increase in speed limits from 100 km/h to 120 km/h has worsened the situation. Drunken driving, overloaded trucks and lane violations are rampant despite CCTV surveillance and patrolling. To restore safety, the speed limit must be reversed to 100 km/h, overloaded and outdated vehicles must be barred, and drivers without valid licences should not be allowed entry. Roadblocks due to maintenance work should be announced at least five kilometers in advance. Accident victims should be able to file FIRs online instead of driving damaged vehicles to police stations, which is both unsafe and impractical on ORR.
Extreme caution is needed while stopping speeding vehicles on ORR lanes. Wrong lane driving, over-speeding and overloaded trucks are common sights despite electronic monitoring. Technology is effective only when operated by honest and efficient personnel. Exemplary punishment is essential to reduce accidents and restore discipline.
Telangana aims to become a $1 trillion economy by 2034 and build a global city over the next decade. But no global city can thrive on weak basics. For three decades, leaders have promised to turn Hyderabad into Singapore, London or Paris. What citizens received instead was an urban mess. Infrastructure must be demand-driven, not supply-driven. Overbuilding without maintenance only increases public debt.
Hyderabad does not need to imitate Western cities. It needs to rediscover its own identity—its lakes, rocks, forests, heritage, cuisine and craftsmanship. If restored, Hyderabad’s uniqueness could inspire cities across the world. The future of Hyderabad depends on honest and efficient road maintenance departments, strict enforcement of traffic laws without harassment, safe pedestrian paths, adequate parking, open spaces and community participation. Hyderabad was once a city of natural wonder and cultural pride. It can be that again—if the fundamentals are fixed before the skyscrapers rise.
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*Contact: sudhansuranjandas2007@gmail.com
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