The city has experienced severe flooding in various low-lying areas in the past few years, and this has become a talking point around the country and a scare point for those living in such settlements. So, for the upcoming monsoon season, the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) has already started taking various measures so that the low-lying areas are not inundated during the rains.

While some of the measures are already in place, the remaining tasks will be taken up when the monsoon approaches. The officials share that the works include ensuring that the stormwater drain network is without any blockages in and around the GHMC area under the Strategic Nala Development Programme (SNDP). They have already appointed officials for every lake to monitor during the rainy season. The officials have also been given tasks like looking after the demolition of dilapidated buildings, pressing into service monsoon action teams, and desilting of nalas or drains.

The municipal officials are focusing on rehabilitating poor families and removing encroachments so that the drains can be widened to allow the flow of water during the monsoons. The GHMC intends to complete the SNDP works before the rains hit the city.

Other major works will include having an exclusive monsoon team for each GHMC circle, and officials will be appointed to maintain the inflows and outflows of lakes and other water bodies. GHMC also intends to deploy mobile monsoon teams and static labor teams. While the labor teams will be available at strategic locations to drain out rainwater immediately, the mobile monsoon teams will be mobile in localities and will attend to rain-related complaints.

The teams will work by pumping out water, clearing catch pits, clogged drains, uprooted trees, tangled wires, etc. Water pumps, crowbars, and tree cutters are being provided to the teams, along with safety gear. Another important decision taken by the Town Planning wing of the civic body was to instruct deputy city planners and assistant city planners to take necessary action against dilapidated buildings and submit a report.