Secunderabad: Water woes persist in Cantonment

Secunderabad: Yet again, irregular water supply issue has cropped up for the residents of Secunderabad Cantonment areas. All promises made by the state government on reduction of water tariff and alternate days water supply have remained on paper. Residents are sore that the government has left them to their bitter fate year and year. At present, many areas getting water once in 5 or 6 days. The SCB also is not taking any effort to ensure regular supply of water.

Shashank Surya, Assistant Engineer (civil, water and street light0, SCB, said, "The reason is that Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWSSB) is not supplying sufficient amount of water. At present, HMWSSB is supplying 56 to 59 lakh gallons of water per day (LGPD) but the requirement is 64 LGPD. Last year, we had a talk with Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MAUD) Minister KT Rama Rao to increase gallons of water per day and also to reduce the water tariff. We are buying water for Rs 13.50 per kiloliter. Rs 7 per kiloliter was decided in the last board meeting with the state government that they would make the rate equal with GHMC but still, it has not been fulfilled. If we get required water from HMWS&SB then we can supply water on alternate days instead of once in four or five days."

Some areas like Bowenpally and Bolarum are receiving water on alternate days and the rest of areas in SCB is getting water once in 4 or 5 days. We have laid the new water pipelines in various slums that include Indiramma Nagar, 105 Gali, Tadbund and many more areas, where there was no pipeline. Some places get water tanker supply as the pipelines are not fully fed by HMWSSB.

"Only one solution is that SCB should be merged with GHMC even though SCB residents are paying Rs 450 water charges per month and earlier it was Rs 315. Even after increasing the monthly charges, the drinking water supply is not being improved. Several times we informed SCB officials and board members, but no action is taken by them. We demand that the state and the central governments take immediate steps to merge SCB with GHMC," said Telukunta Satish Gupta, the president of Vasavi Nagar Welfare Association, SCB ward -5.

"We are fed up with complaining to SCB officials regarding water issues, we are receiving water once in 5 days and also insufficient quantity. Whenever we complain to the officials concerned, they tell us that they are not receiving water from HMWS&SB," said Ajay Kumar, a resident of Ganesh Colony, and Sharada, resident of Indiramma Nagar.