Hyderabad: Open drains, roads littered with garbage and potholes, street lights blaze uselessly in broad daylight, these were the scenes greeted, Majlis Bachao Tehreek (MBT) leader Amjed Ullah Khan during his padyatra (foot march). The Padayatra from Dabeerpura Darwaza to Yakutpura Railway Station, exposed severe civic problems affecting the Yakutpura Assembly Constituency.

The padayatra went through important areas like Hyder Hotel, Ganga Nagar, Moula Ka Chilla, Sadat Nagar, Murtuza Chaman, Chota Pull, Bada Chandra Nagar, Madina Nagar, and Dhobighat.

Unfinished drains, potholes, and health hazards

The MBT padayatra in the old city showed the bad state of roads from Ganga Nagar to Moula Ka Chilla. Big potholes still exist because the Nala widening work has been unfinished for six months. "Horrible conditions of Ganga Nagar to Moula Ka Chilla in Yakutpura Assembly Constituency, big potholes left over after widening of existing Nala since the last six months, residents forced to vacate houses due to dirty smell, mosquitoes, uncompleted Nala stretch kept open with iron rods," said Amjed Ullah Khan, taking to X (Twitter).

Further Khan added a large dug-out pit at Ganga Nagar, left open for months, raised questions about whether the negligence was due to GHMC officials or the contractor.

Decade-long delay in Nala's widening

Khan noted that the Nala widening work from Dabeerpura Darwaza to Hyder Hotel has been in progress for ten years. AIMIM leaders like MP Asaduddin Owaisi, MLA Akbaruddin Owaisi, and Yakutpura MLA Jaffer Hussain Mehraj have inaugurated it multiple times. Despite this, the stretch remains unmotorable, filled with garbage, potholes, dismantled material, and exposed iron rods.

Streetlights in disarray

Khan criticized the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) for its failure to maintain street lights, alleging that most remain on during the day and off at night. He blamed the Electrical Wing for negligence and accused GHMC Commissioner R.V. Karan IAS of not inspecting Old City areas at night, leading to a complete collapse of street light maintenance.

Public Outcry

"The entire stretch from Dabeerpura Darwaza to Yakutpura is in a horrible condition," Khan said. "Every step reveals garbage, open drains, and uncompleted work, making travel a nightmare." MBT leaders demanded that GHMC act quickly on these issues. They urged for night inspections and accountability for the delays.

The padyatra included MBT General Secretary Syed Mustafa Mehmood, Youth Leader Abdul Rahman, and other prominent members like Altaf Naseeb Khan, Syed Haji, Syed Siraj, Azeem Uddin Mohsin, Sikandar Ullah Khan, Osman Chaush, Mohd Sadiq, Zabi Khan, Mohd Yaseen, and Shaik Ibrahim.