What steps have you taken? Hyderabad HC asks GHMC over city's crumbling roads

The Hyderabad High Court on Tuesday asked the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) to explain the steps being taken by it to repair the crumbling roads in Hyderabad.

Hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) that was filed by BJP MLC N Ramachander Rao, the court is reported to have questioned the inaction of authorities and also sought that such incidents do not recur.

"The failure of the official machinery in discharging its statutory duties is very much visible here. Large number of potholes and cave-ins happened because there was collusion of officials with errant contractors," the Times of India, quotes the petitioner's counsel as saying. 

At least four people have died in Hyderabad in the last three months, due to the deteriorating condition of the roads in the city.

People have been complaining for months, but to no avail, as residents in various parts of the city continue to struggle.

Early this month, three people suffered serious injuries after a road in Secunderabad's Safilguda caved in.

Meanwhile, the GHMC told the court that it has identified hundreds of roads that needed repair, and has spent Rs 20 crore in fixing them. However, they needed more time to complete the works.

The court granted the GHMC two more weeks.