Sewer contaminates bore water

Hyderabad: Around 60 families of Shobana Colony, West Marredpally, are having a tough time dealing with the stench emanating from an open drain behind the Tapar Stadium in the Cantonment area.

Mosquitoes, foul smell, snakes and water borne diseases are rife here. In the past month itself, three children from the colony have contracted malaria. The open drain is contaminating the borewell water as well.

Residents complain that sewerage water from Rukmini Devi Colony, West Marredpally is running into the open drains, which gets stagnated leading to severe health hazards. Despite several representations to the Secunderabad Cantonment Board, the issue remains unattended.

M.G. Peters, who has lived in the colony for 17 years, said, “There is a huge open drain that flows from the back of the posh Rukmini Devi Colony and runs into our colony’s open drain causing immense hardships to the immediate 20 plus families that live nearest to it.” “The drain, which is almost 5 foot wide, ends opposite Rajeshwari Apartments and Shrey Apartments in the colony. Besides the foul smell, the mosquito menace is intolerable and no amount of ‘repellents’ help,” he added.

Another resident, S. Satish, said that it was not so bad earlier because the water flowed into an unused well in the Army area (which was forested then). “However, in the last couple of years, the problem has intensified because the Army deforested the area and blocked off the drain. Now the sewage is contaminating four borewells in the proximity. To add to the misery, the drinking water lines also run closeby.”

“I have been here for the last two years and we have a baby of 18 months. But I prefer my infant to stay at my mother’s house because of the dirt; there is pollution of air and water as well. We buy drinking water because the apartment bore is contaminated due to close proximity to the drain,” complained Mastan Reddy.

According to the residents who have lived in Shobana Colony for more than 15 years, the issues have neither been attended to nor rectified.

“Children and senior citizens constantly complain of uneasiness, fever and cough and the smell. Though we have an air conditioner, we cannot use it in this weather. In the last month alone we have had three children down with malaria,” stated another resident.

When contacted, an official of the Secunderabad Cantonment Board, who wanted to remain anonymous, said, “All the colonies in West Marredpally such as Rukmini Devi Colony, Radhika Colony have proper drainage systems. Once we receive the representation regarding this particular issue, officials will inspect the site and attend to it.”