Hyderabad IT corridor is facing serious drinking water problems

Hyderabad: At the start of the summer, the city's bustling IT corridor is faced with a serious drinking water problem. The corridor is home to IT companies as also residential colonies hosting software professionals, central government employees, government offices, UoH, Urdu University, the 8th Battalion Telangana Special Police campus and many other institutions.

The water currently supplied by Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Works and Sewerage Board (HMWS&SB) is not enough to meet the daily requirements.

All the 10 GHMC divisions along with three major gram panchayats are experiencing water shortage. There are problems of pipeline bursts and leakages, adding to the crisis.

Citizens from colonies in Kondapur division including Prashanth Nagar, Sriram Nagar colony, Satthaiah Nagar, Kothaguda village, Police battalion and Kondapur village experience low water pressure-problem.

M Venkata Ramana from Prashanth Nagar told this newspaper that the water board used to supply Manjeera water once in four days. After the arrival of Godavari water, it was providing water once in three days.

"However, due to summer shorgage, water is being supplied for very little time. Sometimes the supply is only for half an hour. Locations near Kattamaisamma temple and Saibaba temple area are facing low-pressure problem. Now all the bore-wells here have dried up and people are depending on public water for their day-to-day requirements,” he said.

A similar problem is being faced at Serilingampally, Chandanagar, Miyapur, Gachibowli, Madhapur, Allwyin Colony and Hydernagar divisions.

Kondapur corporator Hameed Patel told DC that all the corporators from IT corridor met the GHMC Mayor on Wednesday and apprised him of the seriousness of the situation.

“We have spoken to water works officials. Water tankers will be sent to all the slums. We are seeking funds from the corporation for improving the water supply,” he said.

Steady population rise major cause for worry
Within the IT corridor, water shortage is severe in three major gram panchayats which, of late, saw a steady rise in the number of residents. Manikonda, Puppalaguda and Kokapet should in normal course get water from the panchayat raj department.

However, due rise in population, the rural water supply scheme has failed in meeting the demand. Manikonda panchayat ward member B Mallesh told DC that bore wells have dried up.

“Despite digging bore wells to about 1,500 feet, we are unable to get a single drop. We are purchasing water from private tanker operators from Kokapet and Neknampur villages for Rs 600 to Rs 1,000 per 5,000 litres of water," he said.

Rangareddy district panchayat raj officer L. Rama Devi said the department was trying to get water from the Hyderabad water works. Water works DGM for IT corridor Rajashekar said the government has already given directions to expand HMWWSB services to all the 164 villages under Outer Ring Road.