Two days after Telangana minister K T Rama Rao sought to extend the deadline for the closure of Gough Road in Secunderabad's AOC area beyond May 31, the Army on Wednesday put out an official communique stating that the road would be shut off for civilians from June 1.
However, it clarified that emergency vehicles like ambulances and fire tenders would be allowed to pass through the road. All other roads besides the Gough road would remain open.
“To help the public, emergency vehicles such as ambulances, fire brigades and school buses will be permitted to pass through Gough Road at all times," the Times of India quotes the release as saying.
The Gough Road is used by thousands of residents of Marredpally, Trimulgherry, Sainikpuri as a link to get to Hyderabad and this move by the army has left many civilians infuriated.
It started in February 2014, when the army put out a notice which claimed that the entire area would be blocked, and the general public was advised to use main roads to reach their destination.
Following protests by welfare associations, a case in the Hyderabad high court and multiple delegations visiting Parrikar, the army authorities had put off the move until now.
The alternate road that people will currently have to take is narrow, crowded and witnesses a traffic jam at least two or three times a day, citizens say.
In November last year, Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao wrote to Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, and extended the deadline to May 31, to give the GHMC time to build alternative roads.