Hyderabad: The forceful downpour of water from the Hyderabad Metro Rail to the road below causes problems for motorists in areas such as HPS, Begumpet, Tarnaka, and Uppal. Rumour had it that the Metro Rail viaduct had cracked near HPS, but those rumours seem to have been untrue. Pipes that are supposed to carry rainwater from the tracks and the viaduct to the ground are only half an in inch wide. A senior HMR engineer says, “There was heavy rain and a lot of water had accumulated on the tracks and the viaduct. The water is supposed to drain out via openings that are located after every two pillars, but very little water reaches ground level via the pipe.”

A rainwater harvesting pit has been set up below the viaduct, where rainwater is supposed to seep into the ground. But water does not reach the ground if the pipe is clogged with mud or dirt.

An officer says, “The pipes can’t take the pressure of water during heavy rainfall, but we can’t have huge pipes because they attract rodents. We have to look for a different solution.”