MCH decides to take care of boundaries

HYDERABAD: Window panes shattering are a daily affair for the residents living in Mallepally area in the Old City. Courtesy: Huge sixes hit by ‘promising cricketers’ at any of the 13 playgrounds that have no fencing and are managed by the Municipal Corporation of Hyderabad (MCH).
MCH has been regularly receiving complaints of nuisance because of these playgrounds.Following complaints from the residents of this area, MCH is now decided to take up construction of fences around these playgrounds.
The youth from different localities of the Mallepally area play football and cricket in these grounds. The area is known for the large number of youth interested in sports activities. Some of them also come from Secunderabad to practise football and cricket.
A casual walk around these playgrounds reveals several broken windows. Some of the residents of the area have given up and stopped changing window panes. Some others have either put metal grills or card-boards to protect the glass panes from the shots.
Mohammed Naser, a bank employee who resides close to a ground says, “Every two days a ball hits the window breaking the window panes.’’
“I am totally fed up with this problem. Remedy must be sought,’’ says Yousuf Ali, another resident of the locality.
Mohammed Ghouse Pasha who has a collection of cricket balls that broke his window panes into pieces says, “My 7-year-old daughter who was playing on the terrace was injured on being hit by a cricket ball. ‘’
Asad Ali who is a student of Anwar-ul-Uloom college says: “We have been playing cricket from the last 7 years. The ball hits the windows, I agree. But it is unavoidable. For the past few months with the growing complaints of the residents we have stopped using cork-ball or cricket balls and started using tennis balls. But these are quite expensive.’’
The Mallepally local corporator N Swaroopa Rani told The Times of India that the MCH commissioner has already inspected the grounds a few days ago and has promised to fence the grounds. “When compared to other areas, there are more sports lovers in the Mallepally division,’’ she said. The fencing work of the playgrounds will commence soon, she added.