Hyderabad: In a shocking incident that has once again exposed the city’s fragile civic infrastructure, a 5,000-litre water tanker plunged into a nala after a portion of the road caved in at Banjara Hills’ Road No. 1 on Tuesday morning (August 5), following heavy overnight rainfall.
The dramatic collapse occurred near Virinchi Hospital, on a stretch of road that had been laid over a decades-old drainage channel originating from Banjara Lake.
Locals were stunned as a massive crater opened up when a concrete slab covering the nala gave way, swallowing the entire front of the moving water tanker. The driver miraculously escaped with only minor injuries.
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According to the police, the road was constructed over an ageing drain more than 30 years ago. Continuous rains and years of neglect are being blamed for the collapse.
GHMC officials arrived at the scene and began the tedious task of pulling the tanker out, which remained stuck till late evening – causing major traffic snarls in the upscale neighbourhood.
This isn’t an isolated case either. Similar road cave-ins have recently been reported in Goshamahal, where old drain infrastructure is cracking under pressure.
Civic activists are now demanding that the government stop with the “patchwork” fixes and conduct a complete audit of all such ageing structures across the city.
Locals expressed frustration, saying, “Bas ab GHMC ko jagna padega. Kitni baar aise accident hone ka intezaar hai?” With more rain predicted in the coming days, Hyderabadis are now left wondering – will the roads hold up, or are more such sinkholes just waiting to appear?