No sewerage lines as people completely depend on septic tanks
Sewage flows down the streets in Shastripuram since there are no sewage lines.
Hyderabad: Home to over 6,000 people, Shastripuram Colony, a Huda approved residential area in GHMC limits, continues to struggle due to lack of basic civic amenities for over two decades now.
Shastripuram Colony doesn’t have sewerage lines and is completely dependent on septic tanks. However, waste from the tanks overflows onto the road throughout the year, and the problem worsens during rains.
Earlier, the tanks didn’t need frequent cleaning, but many are around a decade old and are failing in terms of storage capacity. Thus they have to be cleaned at least once a month and the residents have to shell out Rs 1,500-Rs 2,000 every time.
Also, as the walls of these tanks have become old, groundwater is getting polluted and the water quality is deteriorating fast, residents complain. The society president explained that in spite of paying water tax to Water Board regularly, which includes a sewerage cess, not a single step has been taken towards laying sewerage lines.
“Any kind of development works, when Shastripuram was a part of Rajendranagar Mandal, was tardy. And after being merged with the GHMC, development has eluded this area,” Mr Udgirka said.
The colony layout was sanctioned by HUDA in 1988 with nearly 2,000 plots. Currently there are around 500 houses and nearly 300 makeshift sheds in the colony. The colony is home to retired civil servants, people working in private firms, government officials, advocates, doctors and several software engineers.
However, many of them state they were not aware of such shoddy conditions and regret shifting to this locality.
Scrap factory causes illness in the colony:
Two illegal scrap segregation, regrouping units and a unit manufacturing decorative items for function halls surround a residential school for the mentally ill and physically challenged at the Shastripuram colony posing a danger to the 70 students there.
“The frequency of coughs and breathing problems and epileptic seizures have increased because of the fumes from the scrap tyre unit behind the school. The noise from the other illegal units is unbearable. The students can't explain even if they feel any discomfort making matters worse,” the principal of Arun Special Centre said, explaining that there has not been any action despite complaints.
However, it is not just the school which is troubled by the illegal units. “Plastic processing, chemical units, denting and painting, oil repositories, bone crushing units, tyre regrouping, welding units, wood cutting units and units which burn wires to extract copper can be found here. The soil, water and air have been polluted massively,” says M.A.H. Asif, a software professional, who has been fighting this for over three years now.
Last year, when Mr Asif approached the APCPDCL for information, the officials gave an official reply (to an RTI) stating “pressure from political parties as the reason for inaction.” After this Mr Asif approached Lokayukta and the next hearing will be scheduled soon. Though the GHMC took up some token demolitions they have remained silent about the issue.
( Source : deccan chronicle )
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