Hyderabad, July 20 -- A national flag installed at Nagole, along the Musi riverfront, tore and fell to the ground after the iron ropes holding it snapped, exposing a glaring lapse in maintenance.

The flag came down on Monday night, July 13, but it was only on Wednesday night, July 15, that ground-level staff at the site picked it up and set it aside, allowing it to lie on the ground for nearly two days. The delay has triggered sharp outrage among local residents, who accused the authorities concerned of showing utter disregard for the national flag, a symbol of the country's freedom struggle.

According to residents, the flag pole is maintained by the Musi River Front Development Corporation, whose officials allegedly failed to carry out...