Drinking water scarcity hits Government Ruia Hospital

Tirupati: There is no exception for the reputed Sri Venkateshwara Ramnarain Ruia (SVRR) Government General Hospital, Tirupati from drinking water scarcity and patients are forced to purchase purified water. Hundreds of patients are buying drinking water bottles or packets in the name of 'purified water' from retail outlets by paying an extra Rs 4 per litre. Even though there is 1000 litre capacity Reverse Osmosis plant inside the hospital, the shortage in Telugu Ganga Water supply led to the scarcity. The problem of potable water is also at significant levels. On any given day, the in-patient strength would be around 1000 spread across 26 wards and many of these wards don't have 24-hour water supply. The very pathetic condition is that many attendants of the patients couldn't take bath for three days continuously, because of scarcity of water. This is not a new problem. However, it became significant in the first half of March month. Of course, every year in peak summer, the water supply reduces and the hospital management purchases water through tankers to mitigate the problem to some extent. At present the consumption of potable water is more than five lakh litres a day, but the engineers are able to supply only less than two lakh through three bore wells. SVRRGGH has only three bore wells � at Nursing College, main sump (near Burns Ward) and at Psychiatry ward at a depth of 180 feet, 450 feet and 170 feet respectively. A Almost all the three high capacity motors (7.5 HP at main sump, 5 HP at Psychiatry Ward and 2 HP at Nursing College) are being operated throughout the day to draw water and to supply to the overhead tank. TTD is supplying Telugu Ganga water for drinking purpose, according to the availability, on every alternate day, which could be estimated at about one lakh litres, because the supply is only for three hours. With this the patients have to depend on 'purified water' by paying Rs 4 extra for each litre. A Since there is no supply of potable water to many wards, the attendants of patients are arriving at single open tap arranged at main sump to clean the utensils and washing of cloths. As many of the patients are coming from villages of Chittoor and neighboring districts, they don't have any relatives here and hence are adjusting to the conditions sometimes without bathing for three days. A Punyavathi came here for her husband's surgery from Venkatagiri, Nellore district. She said that she is purchasing drinking water regularly by spending over Rs 30 a day. A Even though it is a big hospital, no potable water is available. Hence utensils and cloths are being washed with minimum water, she said.