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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 as exceptional. However, there have been terrific developments across various sectors within the city. Currently, Hyderabad is recognized as among the nation's top 3 rapidly developing economies, particularly within the realm of infrastructure and foreign direct investment.
Hyderabad has undergone gigantic policy changes over the years, alongside having brand new strategies, harnessing community development, and supporting entrepreneurship. Most of the leading MNCs have their India base set up in Hyderabad, and many small businesses have shifted their location from oddity to Here, only because of its commitment to nurturing business growth across various sectors and fostering a collaborative environment.
As a concerned citizen residing in the dense corner of the city, several loopholes in the municipality can be openly witnessed every day through actions by the local authorities.
1. Local Politicians with a Luxurious Police Appointment
The primary concern I wish to address 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 summoned for questioning concerning a complaint made by an ordinary citizen, they seem to hover their hands over the officer's shoulders as the latter plays along, leading to a swift conclusion of the case.
The complainant then bears the aftermath of rage by the accused, while the police remain indifferent, neglecting to file an FIR, as the old files in their cabinets are piling up to the sky. Many local residents have complained and written greatly about this to the municipality, which is the GHMC (Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation), yet their efforts have yielded no results.
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 state should step up and hold these local authorities accountable by revamping their training procedures, as many of them remain ignorant of the consequences.
2. Over the Curved Roads.
Another big issue lingering around the city would be the cracked potholes and curvy road structures in underdeveloped areas, which have earned them this unfortunate designation. 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. Despite numerous complaints, residents haven’t seen any municipal officer not once 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 CCTVs mounted on street lights, 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 with a scooter, as the latter tripped over a small stone with a speed breaker-like structure, taking the driver to the ground and 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 to the finishing stage. Roads in Special Economic Zones or other financial districts within the city shine to the core with cleanliness, but the underdeveloped parts of the city cannot be left unheard, as the integration of these regions is crucial, and seeing a bigger change in this section would help earn 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 we live in. The youth in this city have remarkably unrestricted access to a variety of drugs, especially marijuana, which they openly exploit in public places with all eyes on them.
A noticeable trend has emerged where individuals are increasingly indulging their addictions to these substances in public spaces, as there isn’t any stringent law disarming them from doing so and the local police are not bothering themselves with taking any moral action. Talking to many 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 cast on kids and contributes to littering from discarded remnants of smoke.
The above issue might resemble the national drug issue rampant in the country, but immediate measures can and should be implemented by the local government, as are as crucial as the enforcement of laws. A healthy society is driven by morals first, alongside foundational beliefs, which drive a community into togetherness and therefore help create a vibrant colony of like-minded people to sustain a healthy atmosphere.