Hyderabad: Dry spell sparks water woes in many parts across the city

Hyderabad: Due to the ongoing extended period of dry weather, the city is facing worsening water paucity, causing several areas to be plagued by water-related issues yet again. Despite Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWSSB) claiming that there are sufficient reserves to meet the summer requirements, still many localities are receiving drinking water only once in six days and also with low pressure.

On Tuesday MAUD Minister KT Rama Rao tweeted that Hyderabad will be fully geared up to meet its growing drinking water needs till the year 2050.

HMWSSB is augmenting the capacity of all three phases of Krishna water supply at Sunkishala.

Rs 2,215 crore are being spent on this project which will be completed by summer 2024 but the ground reality is totally opposite, alleged the locals.

Areas of Karkhana, Trimulgherry, Vasavi Nagar and West Marredpally under the Secunderabad Cantonment, various colonies in RK Puram and Neredmet under Malkajgiri Constituency, Manikonda, Hitech City and Kondapur, Nizampet under the IT corridors have been among the worst hit. Residents said they have been hiring tankers. Apart from this many areas such as Bolarum, Jeedimetla and Daimmaiguda receive water at irregular times.

“For the past month we have been receiving water once in six days, and recently new pipelines were laid. Despite that, we are receiving water once every six days also the frequency of the water is very low. Several times we have complained to concerned officials of HMWSSB,” said Ramesh, resident of Neredmet.

“It is not a new issue in Cantonment. For the past many years we have been facing a water problem. Only once in four days, we are receiving water, that too only for 35 minutes.

Also, SCB water tankers are not supplying water on time, we are purchasing water from the private water tankers which are very expensive and whenever we ask the reason SCB officials tells us that from HMWSSB we are only receiving 58 million gallons per day that is not sufficient for fulfilling the water demand”, said Ahmed, social activists, Karkhana.

“With the consumption being high during summer, HMWSSB trying to fulfil the water demand but still in many areas we are receiving water at irregular intervals, we are vexed of complaining to concerned officials to fix a particular time, due to that we are forced to be dependent on water tankers,” said a resident of Kondapur.

Sai Teja, resident of Pragati Nagar, said “Instead of increasing the time of water supply, the Board has reduced the supply timing. This has been forcing people to purchase tankers and keep waiting until the tanker arrives.

But whenever we complain they tell us all areas are receiving sufficient quantities of water.”

Meanwhile, a senior officer of HMWSSB stated that “As per the summer action plan an additional 42 Million Gallons Per Day (MGD) of water is being supplied every day in the city and water tankers are being sent to areas where there is a need.”