For commuters passing through Khajaguda Junction, the familiar turn towards Nanakramguda may no longer be the quickest way home or to work for the next two months. Traffic restrictions imposed for water pipeline works are set to push vehicles through internal and alternative roads around one of the busy links to Hyderabad’s western corridor.

The restrictions are in place for 60 days from September 26 to facilitate works on 900 mm and 1,000 mm diameter water pipelines, according to an advisory issued by Cyberabad Traffic Police.

The impact

The immediate impact will be felt by motorists travelling towards Nanakramguda. The service road and free-left movement from KIMS Hospital towards Nanakramguda Road will be temporarily closed. Vehicles approaching Khajaguda Junction from the Biodiversity side will also not be allowed to take the usual right turn towards Nanakramguda Road.

With these movements cut off, police have warned commuters to expect congestion in and around Khajaguda Junction and plan their journeys accordingly.

Three approaches, different detours

Those approaching from the Shaikpet flyover side will have to leave the usual stretch before KIMS Hospital and take Timberlake Colony Road to connect towards Nanakramguda Road. The diversion map issued for motorists from the Shaikpet flyover shows traffic being taken around the Khajaguda-Malkam Cheruvu side before reconnecting with the Khajaguda-Nanakramguda Road.

The route changes for motorists travelling beneath the Shaikpet flyover are different. They have been advised to take the High-Tension Road to bypass the affected junction. The Traffic Police’s map traces the alternative movement from the Old Mumbai Highway side towards Khajaguda-Nanakramguda Road through the roads around Malkam Cheruvu and Chitrapuri Colony.

Commuters arriving from Gachibowli and the Biodiversity Level-1 flyover face another diversion. Instead of proceeding to Khajaguda Junction for the right turn towards Nanakramguda, vehicles will have to take the Pakwan U-turn and proceed through Khajaguda Lake Road. The separate diversion map issued for this approach directs motorists from the Biodiversity side towards the Khajaguda-Lanco Hills stretch.

For regular users of the junction, particularly IT employees travelling towards the western Hyderabad office corridor, the diversions could mean factoring additional time for the commute, especially during peak hours.

Cyberabad Traffic Police asked motorists to avoid the affected approaches wherever possible and use the alternative routes for the duration of the works.

Malkajgiri is a bustling suburb of the twin cities, known for the numerous railway lines criss-crossing its residential colonies. This has necessitated the construction of several Road Under Bridges (RUBs) and Road Over Bridges (ROBs) to facilitate seamless traffic movement.

However, some crossings still remain unbridged, including the one at Gautamnagar. The situation has worsened due to growing rail traffic on this route. MMTS suburban services, long-distance passenger trains, and lengthy freight trains frequently utilize this path to bypass the congested Secunderabad Railway Station, often moving at slow speeds through city limits.”

This is causing significant inconvenience to local residents and commuters as frequent gate closures lead to massive traffic snarls on either side of the level crossing (LC). “This level crossing frequently remains closed for 15 to 45 minutes, and sometimes for up to an hour during peak hours, due to consecutive train movements. Either they should expedite the proposed RUB or close this forever,” says Sudhakar Kanakamedala, a local. 

Though there are RUBs at Safilguda, Anandbagh and Lalaguda, they are few kilometres away forcing commuters to take a circuitous route, hence the rush to cross this particular LC. This is resulting in vehicles spilling into narrow residential lanes, causing severe delays for students, office-goers and even emergency services such as ambulances, residents point out.

The LC lies between Malkajgiri and Dayanandnagar stations and with more trains being provided at the latter, the closures have only risen in the last few years. “The gates remain shut till the train takes the curve near Dayanandnagar station,” claims Hari, another local person.

There is a case for building at least a Limited Height Subway (LHS), attests Zonal Railway Users’ Consultative Committee (ZRUCC) member Noor Ahmed Ali. “I had proposed the work many years ago and it has remained pending for various reasons including land acquisition which has faced opposition. The local public representatives too are seized of the issue and we are hopeful the work will be expedited.”

South Central Railway (SCR) officials say that Malkajgiri itself is uniquely positioned between three main railway lines from Secunderabad station – one towards Nizamabad, other towards Kazipet and there is another Ammuguda line.

“This criss-cross of railway lines amid densely populated colonies has been leading to traffic issues. But, wherever feasible we have been trying to build RUB/ROBs with the assistance of the local municipal authorities over the years,” says senior officials.

Yet, clearly, the lack of coordination between the municipal and railway authorities is apparent, considering the delay in sanctioned projects too. An RTI reply obtained by citizen activist Robin Zaccheus disclosed that only 51% of the 211 ROB/RUB projects across Telangana have been completed to close the associated level crossings. Remaining projects have been delayed due to issues related to land acquisition, funding, design finalisation and inter-departmental coordination.

These works include 82 ROBs and 129 RUBs at locations such as Safilguda, Ghatkesar-Bibinagar, Ammuguda-Moula Ali and Neredmet-Moula Ali, among others. Around 38 works are under construction, tenders have been finalised for 18 projects, 32 are facing land acquisition hurdles and 15 are delayed for other reasons.

“Allowing level crossings to continue operating in densely populated areas poses a risk to commuters, including schoolchildren. A lot of fuel is also wasted as motorists wait for the gates to reopen. Funding has also emerged as a major hurdle after the Telangana government withdrew its cost-sharing consent in May 2024, leaving the Railways to bear the entire cost of such projects. This has resulted in revised timelines and further delays,” he says.

Even within the railways, there is no single authority overseeing these projects, Mr. Zaccheus points out, and calls for an empowered joint task force to monitor such works, ensure time-bound execution and adopt standardised designs.

However, there is good news for Gautamnagar residents. Work on the proposed RUB work is likely to begin soon. “We have received design approval from the municipal authorities. Tendering process is currently on for taking up the ₹34 crore worth works, including ₹10 crore to the municipal authorities for shift of utilities. Efforts are on to complete other pending works soon,” said SCR Chief Public Relations Officer A. Sridhar.

After days of bright and dry weather, Hyderabad witnessed heavy rainfall in several parts of the city on Wednesday, with a sudden change in weather catching commuters off guard.

The skies turned dark shortly after 3 p.m., followed by intense rainfall in several areas. Waterlogging and slow traffic movement were reported at multiple locations, including near Taj Krishna towards KCP Junction and the Panjagutta flyover.

Commuters were caught by surprise by the sudden downpour, with several people seen taking shelter beneath Metro stations and other covered spaces to escape the rain. Heavy rainfall was reported from Ameerpet, Khairatabad, Madhura Nagar, Nagole, Jubilee Hills, Banjara Hills and Madhapur, among other areas.

According to Telangana Development Planning Society data, the city had recorded no rainfall in several locations until 3 p.m. However, rainfall intensified rapidly over the next hour. As of 4 p.m., Khairatabad had recorded 13.8 mm followed by 12.3 mm in Srinagar Colony, 11.5 mm in Banjara Hills, 9.8 mm in Borabanda, 9.5 mm in Ameerpet, 9.5 mm in Jubilee Hills and 7.5 mm in Madhapur.

A Hyderabad Police Sub-Inspector was booked after allowing his six-year-old granddaughter to drive a car on the busy Gandhamguda–Bairagiguda road in Narsingi, with the officer claiming he was preparing her for a Guinness World Records attempt as the world’s youngest driver.

Following the incident, the Telangana Director General of Police C.V. Anand directed the Cyberabad Police Commissioner M. Ramesh to suspend the accused SI and initiate a departmental inquiry into the matter.

The accused, Pujari Tirupathi, is an SI-rank officer attached to the Hyderabad City Police and is currently in the Vacancy Reserve. The incident, which was reported around 5 p.m. on Saturday, came to light after a video showing the child behind the wheel while the officer occupied the front passenger seat went viral on social media platforms.

The footage showed a line of vehicles honking behind the car as traffic slowed on the busy stretch. According to the police, the incident caused a brief traffic hold-up and triggered widespread criticism from motorists and social media users, many of whom demanded action against the officer.

Traffic piles up on the busy Gandhamguda–Bairagiguda road in Narsingi.
| Photo Credit:
By Arrangement

When commuters stopped the vehicle and confronted the officer, he defended his actions, stating that the car was an automatic vehicle and that he remained in control of the vehicle. Speaking to The Hindu, Narsingi Police Inspector G. Hari Krishna Reddy said the officer claimed he was training his granddaughter in preparation for a Guinness World Records attempt to make her the youngest driver.

The car in question, bearing registration number ‘TS 07 GP 7450’ and registered in Tirupathi’s name, already had six pending traffic violations with unpaid challans amounting to ₹3,800. Four challans were issued in Mahbubnagar and two in Hyderabad.

A case has been registered against the officer under Section 125 (endangering life of others) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Sections 184 (dangerous driving) and 180 (allowing unauthorised persons to drive vehicles)of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988. Police said a notice would be served to the accused. Under the law, the vehicle’s registration is suspended for 12 months, while the juvenile will be ineligible to obtain a driving licence until attaining the age of 25 years. The registered owner who permits a minor to drive may also face a fine and imprisonment of up to one year.