Hyderabad: Residents of Bismillah Colony in Shaheennagar, near Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, continue to face inadequate roads, drainage and waste management, highlighting gaps in basic urban services in a working-class neighbourhood. Despite the area coming under the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC), residents say essential infrastructure has not kept pace with everyday needs.
Several internal roads reportedly become difficult to use during the monsoon, with muddy surfaces and potholes affecting pedestrians, two-wheeler users and local vehicles. For families living in the neighbourhood, the problem is not limited to inconvenience. Poor road conditions can restrict access to schools, shops, workplaces and essential services, particularly during periods of heavy rain. Drainage remains another major concern. Residents say the colony lacks adequate stormwater infrastructure, resulting in rainwater collecting on roads and inside lanes. Prolonged stagnation can damage already weak road surfaces while creating conditions favourable for mosquitoes and other public-health risks. The sanitation situation has added to residents’ concerns. Garbage accumulation at different points in the locality and reportedly irregular collection have raised questions about the consistency of waste-management services. In densely occupied neighbourhoods, weak waste systems can affect both environmental conditions and the quality of public spaces.
The concerns also have an economic dimension. Small retailers, auto-rickshaw drivers and other local workers depend on reliable roads for their daily income. Poor access can reduce customer movement and increase vehicle maintenance costs, placing a disproportionate burden on households with limited financial flexibility. The experience of Bismillah Colony also points to a broader challenge associated with the expansion of metropolitan jurisdictions. Administrative mergers can bring neighbourhoods under a larger civic framework, but the benefits of integration depend on whether roads, drainage, sanitation and other services are upgraded on the ground.
Urban planners say neighbourhood-level infrastructure needs to be treated as part of Hyderabad’s wider resilience strategy. Stormwater systems, all-weather roads and dependable waste collection can reduce health risks while making communities better prepared for increasingly intense rainfall events. For residents, the immediate priority is basic functionality rather than large-scale urban redevelopment. Regular waste clearance, proper drainage and durable internal roads could significantly improve everyday mobility and living conditions. The situation also underlines the need for civic agencies to track infrastructure gaps at the neighbourhood level and ensure that urban growth delivers equitable access to essential services.
