Flooded flyovers, choked roads: Traffic police change gears on monsoon strategy

On Saturday, as the IT workforce remained at home, Cyberabad witnessed relatively lighter traffic, though areas like Kukatpally, particularly the Balanagar to BHEL stretch, saw considerable congestion. Commuters reported waiting times ranging from 15 minutes to over an hour in some pockets.

Cyberabad Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Gajrao Bhupal acknowledged that there were lapses, including coordination among civic bodies. “We held a meeting on Saturday with the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) and Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA) after reviewing Friday’s situation. Waterlogging on flyovers, which is a new phenomenon, happened due to clogged pipes and possibly the gradient or levelling issues. These are being re-examined,” he said.

Efforts to clear clogged drains on the Kothaguda-Kondapur flyover, which witnessed knee-deep flooding on Friday night, began early on Saturday morning in anticipation of another spell of heavy rain.

Mr. Bhupal added that a total of 107 waterlogging spots were identified across the commissionerates. While 70% of the engineering modifications proposed at these spots have already been completed, not all have yielded the expected results.

“Some corrections have not worked well on ground. We are revisiting them. The example of Durgam Cheruvu is encouraging. The new drain has worked perfectly this year even though the road work is still underway and we are taking inspiration from that to address other problem zones,” he said.

Hyderabad Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic) D. Joel Davis echoed the focus on coordination and advanced planning. “We are taking timely forecasts from GHMC and HYDRAA to deploy officers strategically at trouble spots. Emergency traffic teams, Disaster Response Forces and HYDRAA units are all stationed as per historic flooding patterns,” he said.

He added that areas near Chikoti Gardens in Begumpet, KCP Junction connecting Panjagutta, Khairatabad, and NIMS, Secretariat and Raj Bhavan, once known for severe waterlogging, have seen remarkable improvements this year.

However, new issues have cropped up, including the stretch from Masab Tank to Ayodhya Nagar Colony in Mehdipatnam, which has been flagged for immediate attention.

Flyovers remain a challenge due to gradient issues. The police plan to work more closely with GHMC on drainage design and maintenance to address these concerns. With around 64 chronic waterlogging points across the city, the police have prioritised strategic deployment, diversions, and vehicle towing during peak hours and storms.

“Additional support from Armed Reserve police personnel is being mobilised to assist during diversions and vehicle removals under flyovers and Metro lines,” he said.