Hyderabad GHMC Launches 10 Day Monsoon Cleanup Drive
Hyderabad: The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) will begin a 10-day citywide monsoon drive on August 11, targeting waste accumulation, clogged drainage points, damaged roads and mosquito breeding sites across all 150 wards. The campaign comes as the city faces the recurring challenges of waterlogging, road damage and vector-borne disease during the rainy season.
The drive will continue until August 21, with civic teams scheduled to begin field operations from early morning. The programme brings together engineering, sanitation, health, entomology and town-planning teams, signalling an attempt to address monsoon risks through coordinated action rather than isolated departmental responses. A key component will be the removal of accumulated municipal, construction and demolition and green waste from roadsides, footpaths, parks, lake areas and locations around nalas. Clearing these sites can improve drainage flows and reduce the possibility of waste entering stormwater networks during heavy rainfall. Engineering teams will focus on desilting drains, filling potholes and restoring catch pits. Damaged or missing catch-pit covers will also be addressed, while silt and floating debris around culverts will be removed. Safety checks on protective fencing along nalas are planned as part of the programme.
These interventions are particularly important for Hyderabad because blocked drains and poorly maintained catch pits can quickly worsen localised flooding during intense rainfall. Road damage can also create additional risks for pedestrians, cyclists and two-wheeler users when potholes become obscured by water. The health component will focus on reducing mosquito breeding. Anti-larval measures and fogging will be carried out in affected areas, with household visits and awareness activities planned in localities reporting dengue cases. While such measures can help manage immediate risks, sustained source reduction and proper waste and water management remain important for longer-term vector control. The programme also includes rainwater harvesting installations and surveys of non-residential buildings. Expanding rainwater harvesting can support better management of stormwater while improving groundwater recharge when systems are properly designed and maintained.
The campaign will further promote four-way waste segregation through information and awareness activities. Effective segregation at source can reduce mixed waste entering collection systems and improve the potential for recycling and responsible processing. For Hyderabad, the value of the 10-day drive will ultimately depend on whether identified problems receive follow-up after the campaign ends. Regular drain maintenance, reliable waste collection, durable road repairs and neighbourhood-level monitoring will be essential to make the city more resilient to increasingly variable rainfall.
