Flush with land transfer funds, Secunderabad Cantonment Board plans to overhaul sewage system

Hyderabad: The Secunderabad Cantonment Board (SCB) is set to overhaul its ageing underground drainage network using ₹303.62 crore received under an MoU with the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA), in exchange for 24 acres of defence land.“This is a game-changer that will help make SCB the cleanest cantonment in the country,” said Madhukar Naik, CEO of SCB.The decades-old system has long plagued residents with frequent sewage overflows and waterlogging. “There are constant complaints of overflowing drains near DPS and Shakambhari Hotel on Sikh Road due to the Hasmathpet nala. Our colony gets flooded every monsoon,” said Balaji Chandra of Jawahar Rail Colony.

The upgraded system, covering 41 km across eight wards, will feature modern, durable lines and will be executed jointly by SCB and the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWSSB). Work will begin once HMDA transfers the funds to the escrow account.MP Eetala Rajender, present at the monthly stakeholders’ meeting, urged the board to ensure efficient fund utilisation to allow for additional infrastructure projects.Part of the ₹303 crore will also be used to strengthen retaining structures along two nalas—one from Entrenchment Road to Patny Compound, and another at Hasmathpet—both to be executed by GHMC.