Unsanitary conditions prevail at the Nampally bus stand, which has become a haven for vagrants. | Photo credit: SWATHI VADLAMUDI
The nauseating smell of ammonia hits the nostrils as soon as you step out of the lift at the Nampally Metro station, a busy junction that houses the Hyderabad Deccan Railway station and sees thousands of commuters daily.
As one heads towards the bus stop and bypasses the recently constructed toilet complex, the stench is only more pungent and permeates the entire olfactory system. Added to this would be a plethora of unpleasant sights – vagrants lying crosswise in the dirt, flying around half-eaten packets of food, rats running around with scraps and a flock of pigeons feasting on scraps – all at once assaulting the visual senses.
Commuters waiting at the bus stop are forced to endure the stench until their bus arrives. Using the places in the shelter is out of the question, because they would often be used by homeless people, drug addicts and drunks who don’t mind relieving themselves at the toilet complex instead of inside.
The sanitary condition of the Nampally metro station locality with the bus stand has been completely neglected for years. The perpetually messy floor and the debris and garbage strewn around add to the spectacle which, despite being glaring, does not attract the attention of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation.
Nampally is not alone in her situation. This is the sorry state of almost all bus stops in the city that are connected to metro stations but not lined with commercial establishments.
Lakdikapul and Errum Manzil bus stands are other examples where the edge between the subway pillars and the wall behind them is rampantly used by streetwalkers and commuters to relieve themselves. In Lakdikapul, there is a public toilet right next to the bus shelter and in Errum Manzil, within walking distance. Both metro stations also have public toilets, but commuters prefer the open space behind the pillars.
“It only started after the metro stations were built here. The pillars provide cover which is used as a urinal. Security guards should be posted and those who relieve themselves here should be punished,” said Ghazi Mohammed, a passenger waiting at Errum Manzil.
Published – 19 Nov 2025 20:36 IST
