Heavy Rains Flood Balamrai Pump House, Disrupt Water Supply in Secunderabad
British-era pumps choke with mud; one lakh residents face two-day shortage
Hyderabad: Heavy overnight rainfall inundated the century-old Balamrai pump house in Secunderabad, choking the machinery with mud and water and forcing a complete halt in pumping operations, causing supply disruptions across large parts of the Cantonment.
The pump house still operates with equipment dating back to the British era. Nearly one lakh residents depending on the facility will face water shortages over the next two days, including in Picket, Mudfort and Balamrai, SCB water superintendent S. Raj Kumar said.
On Thursday morning, officials from the Secunderabad Cantonment Board’s water wing visited the site and began restoration work. Tankers are being deployed to provide water in affected areas until supply is restored. Engineers said efforts are underway to dry the motors and reconnect power, though the timeline could stretch further if more rain falls in the coming days.
The Balamrai station has long been considered a weak link in the network, with repeated flooding incidents recorded in the past. A major disruption was reported in 2020 when the same facility was swamped by rain. “Every spell of heavy rain leaves us without water. Why hasn’t this been upgraded after all these years?” asked Harini B, a resident of Mudfort.
Officials admitted that the facility’s age and imported design made restoration difficult whenever flooding occurs. “These are pumps from the British period. Once they go underwater, repairing them is always complex,” said one engineer. With the IMD warning of more rain, SCB officials are keeping tankers on standby and promised updates as repairs progress.
