A structure raised to divert sewage from Balkapur nala in Mehdipatnam area, under the purview of the Local Military Authority (LMA), seems to be the fresh bone of contention between the Central and State governments.
An allegation was made by Minister for Municipal Administration & Urban Development (MA&UD) K.T. Rama Rao, during a discussion in the Assembly, that the Defence authorities were not allowing works on the Balkapur nala under the Strategic Nala Development Programme (SNDP), and refused to remove a check dam on the drain.
He also issued a threat of shutting down essential services such as power and water to the areas under the Cantonment, which was met with consternation and widespread condemnation.
Regular inundation
He was responding to an issue raised about regular inundation in Nadeem Colony and Toli Chowki during heavy rains, when he made the observation that the flooding was due to absence of free channel for the excess rainwater from the Shah Hatim Tank.
Due to the narrowed drain, the water is backing off into the lake, which in turn is flooding the residential areas. When proposals for modernisation of Balkapur nala came up as part of the SNDP, the Defence authorities objected to the works, he said.
Army sources, however, refused receiving any proposal under the SNDP. What the Minister had described as a check dam was in fact a sewage diversion arrangement put in place by GHMC for which work permission was accorded by the Defence Ministry in 2012.
During rains, the neighbouring civil areas along with Military Garrison are flooded because the exit portion of the drain is narrow, and since construction was done by GHMC, the issue is to be resolved by them, they said.
Sources from GHMC, on the condition of anonymity, confirmed the fact that the LMA has made it clear that SNDP works would be permitted on the nala, only upon assurance that the drain will carry only monsoon flows and no ‘dry flows’ of sewage.
“We could not assure that because across the city, storm water drains are used for sewage flow. If we are to separate sewage from storm water, it has to happen as part of a project taken up for the whole city, and not as concession to a specific area. Nalas are encroached upon at several locations, and Balkapur is no exception,” an official said.
