Cantonment Borewell Row Worsens Water Crisis
SCB stops paying for electricity for community borewells; tanker supply is also halted
Hyderabad: Residents of several bastis in Secunderabad Cantonment say their drinking water crisis could worsen in the summer after authorities stopped paying electricity bills for community borewells and halted free water tanker supply. Large parts of the cantonment already receive piped water only once in about five days, forcing many neighbourhoods to depend heavily on borewells.
According to local estimates, the cantonment has more than 30,000 borewells, including around 2,000 community borewells. While colony welfare associations usually pay electricity bills for borewells in residential colonies, the Secunderabad Cantonment Board has been bearing the cost for over 750 borewells located in bastis. Officials say the monthly electricity burden exceeds Rs 25 lakh.
Recently, electricity officials disconnected power supply to five borewells in Bapujinagar in Ward 1 after bills were not cleared.
Residents said they met SCB Chief Executive Officer Arvind Kumar Dwivedi through former board representatives to raise the issue. According to those present, officials conveyed that the board would no longer be able to pay electricity bills for the borewells.
“This is drinking water for poor neighbourhoods. If electricity is cut, how are people supposed to get water?” said a resident from Bapujinagar. Another resident said the decision came at the worst possible time. “Summer is here, and we already get water only once in five days. Borewells are our main source. If they stop working, we will be left with nothing,” he said.
Residents said free water tanker supply had been stopped in some areas, leaving bastis such as 108 Bazaar, Reddy Compound and Mudfort with few options.
“We cannot afford to buy tanker water every week,” said Sharada, a resident of Reddy Compound. “If the board shifts the electricity burden to us, many families will not be able to manage.” Local leaders say the issue is linked to the larger water shortage in the cantonment area, where plans to bring additional supply through Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) infrastructure are estimated to require around Rs 17 crore.
