Hyderabad catchpits positioned above or below road level are creating accident risks for motorists across several parts of the city, with rainwater concealing uneven structures and making them particularly dangerous for two-wheeler riders.
The problem has been reported across the 2,053-sq.-km Core Urban Region Economy area, which includes the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation, Cyberabad and Malkajgiri municipal corporations. Affected locations include MCH Market Road in Ameerpet, Dharam Karam Road, Nallagandla Main Road, Dabeerpura, Narayanguda, Nalgonda X Road, Shaikpet and Filmnagar.
At some locations, catchpits are positioned two to three feet above the road surface, while at others they are two to three feet below it. During rain, waterlogging can hide the difference in levels, causing vehicles to strike the structures even during short spells of rainfall.
A motorist reportedly fell near a catchpit on Nalgonda X Road, in front of a private hospital. “I saw a motorist falling due to this catchpit. This has been an issue for two months,” said Md. Mubeen.
Another commuter, K. Ayansh, said he hit an uneven catchpit on Begumpet road while travelling towards Mayur Marg. He said he moved left to avoid a bus and could not see the catchpit because the road was waterlogged. “Fortunately, I was able to control the vehicle and no untoward incident happened,” he said.
Enquiries with municipal engineers pointed to coordination gaps between agencies responsible for road restoration and catchpit maintenance. Road restoration contracts are handled by one agency, while cleaning and maintenance of catchpits are assigned to another. Officials said this division of responsibility had contributed to differences of two to three feet between road surfaces and catchpit levels at several locations.
Similar problems were observed in colonies and slum areas, although catchpits on main roads pose a greater risk because motorists may be unfamiliar with their locations. Regular users of internal roads are more likely to know where such structures are positioned, while drivers on major roads may encounter them unexpectedly.
A Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation official said corrective measures were being taken at several locations. These include filling gaps between catchpits and road surfaces with bitumen or concrete, painting structures red, levelling them with the road and placing warning signs where work is underway.
“The issue has not been left unattended. Even if the catchpit belongs to the water board, they are painting it with red colour and matching to road height. At places where works are underway, we are also placing signages,” the official said. Municipal authorities said levelling, hazard marking and warning signage would continue at affected locations.
