Muta Gopal Vs Anjan Yadav: Anti-incumbency, civic issues plague Musheerabad

Hyderabad: From the garbage-filled streets of Kavadiguda to the swanky shops and fashionable roads of Himayatnagar, the Musheerabad Assembly Constituency has it all.

With Telangana elections barely a month away, there is mixed reaction among the locals including the RWAs and business establishments when they were asked about the civic issues plaguing them. Lack of proper commercial garbage disposal mechanisms, non-functional streetlights in some areas, drainage, and parking issues are some of the problems pointed out by the people residing in those areas.

Overview of Musheerabad Constituency

With a diverse population of nearly 3.5 lakh (2011 census), the Assembly Constituency of Musheerabad, under Secunderabad Lok Sabha Constituency includes Ramnagar, Domalguda, Kavadiguda, Chikkadpally, Ashoknagar, Gandhinagar, Parsigutta, Padma Rao Nagar, Azamabad, Bagh Lingampally etc.

Musheerabad got its name from Nawab Arastu Jah, Mushir–ul–Mulk, who had been the prime minister of Hyderabad during Nizam Asaf Jah II.

The incumbent MLA Muta Gopal from the ruling BRS party had won the 2018 Assembly elections securing 50.42 % of the votes polled. He had defeated M Anil Kumar Yadav of Indian National Congress (INC) who got 24.93 % votes and former MLA Dr K Laxman of BJP (21.28 % votes).

Garbage greets public in ‘dustbin-free’ city

As one enters Musheerabad through Lower Tank Bund, the filth-filled roads of Kavadiguda approach towards Gandhinagar welcome you. Huge piles of garbage strewn every few hundred meters and roadside urination greet the eyes.

“There are so many eateries and shops around. Especially in the morning, hundreds of people come to the eateries for breakfast. It is unhygienic to have such huge piles of garbage opposite eating joints. Even if the garbage is cleared in the morning, by afternoon, again the places are full of litter,” said K Bharath, who has a sweet shop in the area.”

“The enthusiasm to make Hyderabad a dustbin-free city has boomeranged. After the big bins were taken away from roadsides, the garbage problem escalated. The people also throw garbage here and there and municipal authorities need to create awareness among the public about the ill-effects of littering garbage and clear them more frequently or provide proper garbage disposal mechanisms,” added A Naresh Kumar, a resident who came to a grocery store in the vicinity.

Regarding the garbage problem, Munawar Chand, convener of Bholakpur Basti Vikas Manch said, “Several tonnes of garbage are generated and segregated daily from the scrap shops, all of which cannot be recycled. Big dustbins have been removed from the roadsides. We request the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) to provide a couple of big vehicles for the collection of nonreusable commercial waste from Bholakpur daily and carry them into the dumpyard. Just like our drinking water pipelines have been changed to prevent water contamination, which used to happen earlier, we wish our problem of disposal of commercial garbage is addressed by the municipal authorities.”

‘Non-functional streetlights since six months’

Gandhinagar-Ashoknagar localities of Musheerabad have hundreds of residential homes, apartments, hostels and study centers for civil services aspirants. Still, some areas do not have proper lighting. While streetlights function erratically in some stretches, a few lack functional streetlights for months. “There are so many electric poles in our area. But the lights are not working near Anita Towers, Street Number 1 on Gandhinagar main road. Residents and students face problems when it gets dark. Despite complaints with civic authorities, we don’t have continuously functional proper streetlights for the last six months,” said a resident, who came to purchase groceries in the supermarket opposite the apartments.

Drainage issues

“We have a hotel at a slightly higher level near our apartment, which has 48 flats. Whenever their sewerage fills up the manhole, water flows into our apartment and floods the cellar. We have to keep on requesting the GHMC to clean up the sewerage. If they automatically take up the cleaning activity every 10 days, perhaps this spilling of drainage water can be prevented,” said P Rama Krishna, former secretary of EGK Enclave Resident Welfare Association (RWA) in Azamabad.

Parking woes

In the posh neighborhood of Himayatnagar, several high-end stores, market complexes, and restaurants are lined up on either side of the roads. While some provide cellar parking or parking in front of the establishments, others lack the facility. “We have parking facilities but in peak hours, those shops that do not have parking provisions, it becomes a problem for the public as parking by the busy roads can result in fines and penalties.” said the manager of a renowned restaurant in Himayatnagar.

`People want a change from BJP & BRS’

Former MP from Secunderabad Lok Sabha Constituency and working president of Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) M Anjan Kumar Yadav is contesting on INC ticket this year from Musheerabad Assembly Constituency and is continuing his campaigns. Commenting about the prevailing mood in the Musheerabad constituency, his son Anil Kumar Yadav, who had lost the Assembly elections in 2018 to a BRS candidate said, “Voters had given chance to both BJP and BRS to prove themselves in Musheerabad but there has not been any development in the last 10 years. There is a strong anti-incumbency feeling among voters who want a welcome change and vote for real development of their localities. Among all the 15 constituencies, MLA fund has been least utilized in Musheerabad.”

Elaborating further, Anil Kumar Yadav said, “Drainage drinking water, street lights, corruption – so many civic issues persist and affect the residents in different areas of Musheerabad. Local cadres also harass businessmen and try to extract money if someone wants to start a new construction work or a new business enterprise. My father had served with a lot of commitment when he was a Member of Parliament from Secunderabad Constituency from 2004 to 2014. This time, Congress is also committed to delivering the six practical promises it has guaranteed the public if voted to power. In general, not only in Musheerabad, but everywhere, people want a change, it is even more perceived among the urban voters and we are certain about Congress winning the elections.”