Hyderabad: While people living outside the Secunderabad Cantonment Board, who have water connections from the Water Board, have been receiving supply on alternate days or every third day, more than 50 per cent of SCB consumers receive water once in five or seven days. SCB officials say that of the total demand of 5.3 million gallons of water per day (MGD) in the eight wards, they are receiving only 50-60 per cent.
“We are not receiving sufficient water from the Water Board, hence there is short supply. At least 50-60 per cent of the total demand is falling short. Thus, with the existing water resources, some areas are receiving supply every third or fourth day,” said an SCB official of the water wing, adding, “Earlier, due to non-payment of bills, they used to stall the supply, but now we are paying regularly.”
Things have gotten worse for the residents of RK Puram and Bollarum area, where water is supplied once in seven days, that too by tankers. “In these areas, the main Water Board pipeline that connects to the pump houses of the SCB has been affected; officials are working on placing new pipelines. Till then, we are supplying water through tankers,” said the SCB official.
Asked about the shortage of water supply to the SCB, Prabhakar Sharma, Water Board director (operations) said, “When we do not have sufficient water ourselves, how can we supply enough water to them?”
However divisional Water Board officials said that they had been supplying sufficient water to the SCB.
“The water demand which SCB has put to the Board is 5.3 MGD and we are able to supply at least 90 per cent of it on a daily basis. As far as shortage is concerned, it could be due to internal distribution problem,” said Mr Brijesh, DGM, (transmission).
Cantonment officers’ claim
SCB officials say that of the total water demand is of 5.3 MGD. However they are receiving only 50-60 per cent, due to which they are not able to meet the demand.
Water Board counter-claim
The water demand which SCB has put to the Board is 5.3 MGD and we are able to supply at least 90 per cent of it daily. Shortage in supply could be due to internal problems.
"Though they (SCB officials) say that water will be supplied every third day, it is very rare. We are now mostly depending on water tankers. We order at least five to six tankers every month". — Sai Kiran, Marredpally resident
