Woman sits in water-filled pothole to protest Hyderabad’s bad roads

A woman’s unique protest against the poor roads in Hyderabad’s Nagole area has garnered support from local residents and sparked a political blame game between the ruling Congress and the opposition BJP in Telangana.

A woman staged a demonstration by sitting in a water-filled pothole on Thursday to highlight the potholes on the Uppal-Nagole stretch. She claimed her children sustained injuries after falling into these potholes and demanded immediate road repairs.

“I counted, there are 30 potholes between Uppal and Nagole. This is pathetic, and I could not endure it anymore. We are facing this problem daily. I purposely sat in it. The protester told reporters, “We request (civic body) to solve this issue.”

The woman said she raised the issue with GHMC officials, who said a budget was allocated for road repairs. However, she alleged no timeline was provided for the solution.

A mother protests at Nagole by sitting in a pothole, venting ire over officials who have not taken repairs. She says that her kids fell due to a pothole
#Hyderabad

She said There are 30potholes from Uppal to Nagole.

To showcase the depth of the pothole and the danger it holds. pic.twitter.com/l6DHOPQjrx

— Naveena (@TheNaveena) May 23, 2024

The protest garnered support from local residents who joined the woman with placards reading, “We want safe roads…won’t you??”

After videos and pictures of the protest surfaced online, the treasurer of the BJP’s Telangana unit, Shanthi Kumar, blamed the state’s Congress government for the issue. “Congress fails to address basic infrastructure as a woman sits in pothole slush in Hyderabad’s Uppal area, demanding action from the GHMC (Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation),” said the BJP leader in a post on X.

Shanthi Kumar alleged that the Congress is dodging its responsibilities under the Model Code of Conduct (MCC). “Despite this, he stated, it consistently hides behind election codes.”

The incident has drawn attention to the poor city roads and ignited a political controversy, controversy. The BJP accusing accused Congress of neglecting infrastructure.