Hyderabad: Demand for mineral water shoots up

Hyderabad: Water, water everywhere but not a drop to drink. This in a nutshell sums up the predicament of people in the city. Fear of being exposed to water borne diseases if one consumes water from taps is high. The Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply &Sewerage Board (HMWS&SB) issued an advisory asking people to clean and disinfect their water storage sumps with bleaching powder and refill them with the water being supplied by the board. "We are counting totally on mineral water from nearby suppliers for the moment," said K Anil, a resident of Bahdurpura.

"Several colonies in the city remain inundated even after two days. This poses a great risk of spreading water-borne diseases and even the experts vouch for such eventuality," said, Kamelakar Jitender, a social activist. "The areas affected with the recent floods are at a risk of being infected by waterborne and vector borne diseases. Infections like Typhoid, Malaria Cholera, Diphtheria, Dengue and Hepatitis may take a toll of the health of masses. To avoid such diseases people should take precautions such as treating drinking water with chlorine tablets being supplied by HMWS&SB," Dr. Virinchi Sharma, Psychiatrist and Director, Manasa Hospital, Hyderabad. "Formation of bacteria could be tackled by using chlorine tablets in the utensils while the bleaching powder fend off bacterial formation in sumps located below or atop the roof," informed Khader Mohiuddin, the General Manager-(Div-I) HMWS&SB.