Residents irked over getting sewage mixed drinking water

Kukatpally: For six months now, the families living in Devi Nagar road no 5, an area in Kukatpally, have been receiving drinking water mixed with sewage. Two hand pumps set up at the colony extract only brown-coloured water with a stench. Residents have no other choice but to consume it.

P Rishika who has been living in the area for nine years now, said that her young sons had fallen ill many times over the past few months. “I had to rush them to the Urban Primary Health Centre because they were often running a high temperature. Even water is terrible we are consuming because we cannot afford to spend 30 rupees for each water can,” she said.

According to a local Corporation official, a broken drainage line is the cause of the problem. “Though the ward receives water once in four days, the colony has a broken line through which sewage has been getting mixed with the drinking water for the last six months,” he said. The people who fill the first 50 pots of water face the brunt as the water is initially dark brown. 

It eventually becomes a bit clean but white froth forms on top of the pots and containers signalling contamination. “Devi Nagar has now houses about 70 families living here with a poor water supply. As most of the people are daily wage workers, none has taken it seriously,” said Suchitra a resident of the colony.

Joshua Joseph, a resident said MLAs and Councillors would visit the area only during the elections. We have been representing to officials many times but no one has taken action on this issue. A senior Executive Engineer of the area said that he would look into the issue. He adds that the Corporation has been taking swift steps in summer so that monsoon time is not problematic.

BY Mohammed Hussain