Newly laid pedestrian pathways on Hyderabad’s Moosarambagh bridge have been dug up for cable-laying work, leaving damaged sections without warning signs or barricades and raising concerns about pedestrian safety, public fund wastage and poor coordination among civic agencies.
Residents said portions of the cement concrete footpaths were demolished a few days ago, barely two months after the bridge was inaugurated. The work has affected a stretch that had only recently become usable after earlier difficulties caused by construction debris.
The Moosarambagh bridge crosses the Musi river and was inaugurated by Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on August 31, following nearly five years of construction. Residents questioned why utility work was being taken up after the pedestrian pathways had been constructed instead of being coordinated before the bridge was opened for public use.
They also said the road beneath the bridge was already in poor condition, adding to the difficulties faced by people using the route. The dug-up footpaths have made the stretch particularly unsafe at night, according to local residents.
Residents said no warning signs or barricades had been installed around the damaged portions. S. Parijatha urged officials to restore the pedestrian pathways before a fatal accident occurred. Another resident, B. Sandeep Goud, said pipes had been lying at the site for several months and questioned why the cable-laying work was being undertaken only now.
Goud said a person slipping or falling on the damaged stretch could suffer serious injuries. He called for utility works to be completed in coordination before public infrastructure is opened, saying this would help prevent avoidable damage and the repeated use of public funds.
The issue highlights the risks created when underground utility works are not aligned with the construction and commissioning of roads and bridges. For pedestrians, the immediate concern is not only the loss of a newly laid walkway but also the absence of basic site-safety measures around an active work zone.
Repeated attempts to contact Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation officials for a response went unanswered. The report did not specify the agency undertaking the cable work, the cost of repairing the footpaths or the timeline for restoring the damaged sections.
