No water supply to city outskirts

Hyderabad, March 16: Several families living on the periphery of Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation are depending on private agencies for drinking water supply.

With no supply by the Water Board, they have no choice but to buy water daily. They are buying 20 litre water cans priced at Rs 30.

They will have to continue buying water cans for the next couple of years, as the HMWS&SB cannot lay pipes to supply water due to cash crunch.

Now, many areas get water only twice a week for seven to eight months in a year. When it’s summer, the situation is worse, as water is supplied once in five or six days with low pressure.

Officials said they need Rs 2,600 crore to lay pipes in unserved areas. The state government has allocated a meagre Rs 5 crore for extension of water lines to 50-km in these areas.

Residents of localities like Madhavpuri, Classic Enclave, OU Teachers Colony, Lake View Colony, Lakshmi Nagar, Brundavan Colony in Kapra and Malkajgiri municipalities demand the government help the Board by either extending financial support or provide counter guarantee to it to take loans from external monetary agencies.

“We don’t get water for five to six days in a row. If this is the case now, how will it be in April and May when the summer will be at its peak? We have not benefited by the GHMC. Our taps were dry in summer then, and it is no different now,” said Mr N. Surendernath, office-bearer of residential association.