RWAs demand full access to recently opened Secunderabad Cantonment roads

Following orders from the Union Ministry of Defence on April 20, the Local Military Authorities (LMA) razed down the walls which blocked commuters from using five arterial roads administered by the Secunderabad Cantonment Board. The order brought relief to scores of residents who were earlier forced to take long detours, causing a major inconvenience. But these orders have been complied with only partially, say activists. 

TNM visited the Lakdawala gate near Bolarum in Secunderabad, which had been closed for nearly a decade. While the contentious wall has been demolished, the road remains inaccessible for commuters coming from Yapral and Ammuguda side as a gate continues to block motorists from reaching Lakdawala. Commuters still have to take a detour to reach this road which was not the case before the LMA had closed it down. 

Commuters going to Yapral from Bolarum side are directed towards the Navy House. “The reopening of the road would only make sense if they remove all the hindrances and restore the road in its previous form, without the need for any unnecessary detours,” observed Dinesh, a resident of Bolarum. 

Similarly, the wall constructed at Ammuguda has been demolished only partly, restricting the flow of vehicular traffic. The road is also barricaded as a result of which motorists have to take a detour. 

“These newly erected barricades at the Batticaloa circle and near the Flagstaff House must be removed to ensure that traffic between Lakdawala and Ammuguda takes the straightest and fastest route,” wrote CS Chandrasekhar secretary of Federation of North Eastern Colonies of Secunderabad in his letter to the Chief Executive Officer of Secunderabad Cantonment Board (SCB).    

Speaking to TNM,  he said that there was confusion prevailing amongst commuters as some roads were still barricaded and traffic was not allowed at certain junctions.  The newly reopened roads continue to be manned by armed sentries, and commuters were allowed entry only after producing identification cards such as Aadhar or Driving License. 

“Public transport such as autos, RTC buses, etc., is not being allowed on the roads. Civilian pedestrians and cyclists are also not being allowed. Neither are civilian morning/evening walkers. There was no such restriction before the roads were closed several years ago, and the roads had been open to all manner of traffic as old as one could remember before they were closed,” Chandrasekhar said. He demanded that all these restrictions be removed and their status  restored. 

“Besides the reopened junctions are being manned by army sentries, who are subjecting all civilians to ID checks. The opening orders of 20 April 2023 do not specify any such checking on Secunderabad roads. These checks are forcing traffic to come to a halt and increase congestion. As per the Hyderabad City Police Act, law and order, including regulation of traffic, is the responsibility of City Police. ID checks need to be stopped, and traffic control handed over to Hyderabad Traffic Police,” Chandrasekhar stressed. 

Speaking to TNM, SCB Chief Executive Officer Madhukar Naik clarified that public buses and autos would not be allowed on these roads due to safety reasons. “The military authorities are entitled to their security concerns and could screen the commuters for as they deemed fit,” he said referring to the identification checks being conducted. 

Talking about the detours on the reopened roads, the CEO said that these detours were not long and actually beneficial for the commuters since the old roads had suffered damages.