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Living in the City of Hyderabad, located in the State of Telangana, has been an experience that I wouldn’t reckon was exceptional. However, there have been terrific developments in various city sectors. Today's city is said to be amongst the nation's top 3 rapidly developing economies, particularly in the infrastructure zone, and foreign direct investment.
Hyderabad has had gigantic policy changes over the years, alongside having brand new strategies in place, harnessing community development, and supporting entrepreneurship. Most of the leading MNCs have got their India base set up in Hyderabad, and many small businesses have shifted their location from oddity to Hyderabad, only because of the city’s dedication to harbor the growth of businesses of all kinds and creating a one-team attitude.
Amidst the rapid developments of various kinds, as a concerned citizen, residing in the dense corner of the city, several loopholes in local government can be openly witnessed every day through actions by the local authorities.
1. Local Politicians with a Luxurious Police Appointment
The very first issue that I would want to shed light on would be the colonial attitude of police located in every locality. Most of these cops are as per the books, paid by the state government through public taxes, but the majority of their revenue now seems to come from the politicians residing in their areas, as that becomes apparent through the handling of chargesheets or FIRs filed. Every time I see a local affluent person being called in for questioning, regarding a complaint filed by a normal resident, they seem to hover their hands over the police personnel's shoulders, while the latter is playing along, and the next thing you know, the questioning is done, and the case is closed.
The complainant then bears the aftermath of rage by the accused, and the police still don't take cognizance of the issue, by registering an FIR, which answers by the files in their cabinets are piling up to the sky. Many local residents have complained and written greatly about this to the local municipality, which is the GHMC (Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation), but to no avail.
This totally seems like a rerun of how citizens were treated by the authorities in the 1950s, despite seeing tremendous growth in various sectors. The local government should step up and hold these local affluents accountable, by revamping their training procedures and education of the police, who in most cases are ignorant of the consequences.
2. Over the Curved Roads.
Another big issue lingering around for the locals throughout the city would be cracked potholes, and curvy road structures in underdeveloped areas, which is how these areas got this title. Every place I visit, especially the ones surrounding my residence, and entities far away, the connecting roads still remind us of GHMC’s primitive town planning methods. Residents have made complaints to the local heads of all sorts, but haven’t seen any municipal officer even visit these vulnerable places to inspect the issue or make suggestions for improvement.
Most people travel long distances for work, or to even run errands, However, their vehicles are subjected to the harsh conditions of these roads, which causes severe damage to their assets. Many such areas have CCTV installed attached to a street light, which captures the plight of people passing by these dreadful layouts. I had the misfortune of witnessing a terrible accident, which involved the collision of a school bus along a two-wheeler scooter, as the latter tripped over a small stone, with a speed breaker-like structure, and therefore took the driver to the ground, causing grave injuries. Just because of a change in the natural form of the rocks in the roads (Which changes over time), a fatal news story almost got in the finishing stage. Roads in Special Economic Zones, or in other financial districts within the city shine to the core with cleanliness and steady flow of its shape, but the underdeveloped parts of the city cannot be left unheard, as unification of the place from all sides becomes really important, and seeing a bigger change in this section would help me earn got confidence.
3. Crackdown on Local drug users
Lastly, a universal issue stalking this city would be legal drugs being smoked right out in the streets, making it difficult to create a homely atmosphere around the colonies, and society in general we live in. The youth in this city have radically easy access to all kinds of drugs, especially marijuana, which they openly exploit in public places with all eyes on them.
There seems to be a rise in exercising their addictions to these drugs openly in public, only because there isn’t any stringent law disarming them from doing so, and the local police not bothering themselves with taking any moral action. Talking to many local residents, it has become apparent that it's difficult to really ask these groups to take their practice elsewhere without getting into a violent confrontation, as that can turn unhealthy in a snap. Rather the dependency lies on the local police, who are expected to educate the folks about this not being the best way of having their moment, as negative influence is spewed on kids, and damages the surroundings nearby through smoke, and garbage which gets laid after the session comes to an end.
The above issue might resemble a national drug issue rampant in the country, but immediate measures can and should be implemented by the local government, as moral standards stand as important just as any other physical implementation of laws. A healthy society is driven by morals first, along with character values, and the fundamental principles within, which drive a community into togetherness and therefore help create a vibrant colony of like-minded people with the goal of sustaining a healthy atmosphere.