Several roads passing through Indian Army establishments in and around Bolarum, Yapral and Kowkoor in Hyderabad that were earlier accessible to civilians have been closed for the past nine days, causing inconvenience to commuters and adding to traffic congestion in the area. The closures are reportedly linked to heightened security following the theft of 12 firearms from the 20 Madras Regiment premises at Bolarum.
Signboards reading ‘Security Alert: Inconvenience Regretted’ have been placed outside multiple Army establishments. A check of the affected areas revealed that the Kowkoor Army road near the College of Defence Management, which has the Cavalry Barracks and was earlier accessible to civilians travelling towards Hakimpet, has been closed. “The gates were earlier open and the only thing the Army personnel used to check was whether the pillion rider also had a helmet or not,” said Vikas, a frequent commuter.
The EME Centre Temple along the Kowkoor Army road has also been closed, with the same security alert signboard displayed at the entrance. An Army personnel manning the gate said he had been assigned to guard the temple and was following orders given to him.
The closures have also prompted concerns among residents and commuters in the northeastern parts of Hyderabad. The Federation of North Eastern Colonies of Secunderabad (FNECS) said the Local Military Authorities had kept multiple roads in the Cantonment closed since August 31, affecting more than 10 lakh residents.
According to FNECS, the roads closed include Yapral Road, Byam Road, Hislop Road, Rajender Singhji Road, Barr Road, Richardson Road, Golf-Course Balaji Nagar Road, Ammuguda Road and Protnee Road. “Travel time between Yapral and Hakimpet checkpost, which earlier took around 10 minutes, is now taking more than 40 minutes in the evening because of congestion on the remaining open roads,” a resident said.
A map of the nine closed roads identified by the Federation of North Eastern Colonies of Secunderabad.
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Special Arrangement
FNECS added that there had been no official announcement explaining the road closures. Guards at some of the closed gates have reportedly cited a ‘red alert’ following the theft of arms and ammunition from the Madras Regiment premises.
The federation also recalled that the Hyderabad City Traffic Police had earlier raised objections to the closure of Cantonment roads. In a letter dated November 12, 2022, then then Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic) had noted that traffic in the area had increased over 2.5 times since 2011. The letter also highlighted longer vehicle transit times, lower speeds, increased pollution and higher fuel consumption resulting from congestion and longer detours.
FNECS has urged the Local Military Authorities to reopen the roads, saying the restrictions have placed a daily burden on residents.
When contacted, Secunderabad Cantonment Board CEO Arvind Kumar Dwivedi said the SCB had not closed any roads and that the Local Military Authorities may have effected the closures.