Dry taps, inundation of homes big issues in Bandlaguda

Hyderabad: It makes unthinkable as one enters the Ward number 7 falling under the Bandlaguda Jagir Municipal Corporation (BJM) as the surroundings make it more look like a rural area.

"But what one sees now is a hundred times better than 11 years ago when I had moved this area to construct my house," said Sayyed Izhar Ali. A small-time businessman in the locality, Ali has seen the ups and downs, the series of promises made by different politicians from the area to improve the basic amenities. But, to date all promises are there only on papers, he rued.

"You can look around starting from the Doctors Colony, Pavani Colony, several areas in the Sun City and adjacent areas lack proper roads. That apart, there is lack of drainage facility and when it rains inundation and water logging is a routine affair. Both driving through the waterlogged and potholed road and jumping over the mud pools on the roads is an adventure for everyone during the rainy season," he said.

"When it is summertime, the residents of Abhudayanagar will have to face another adventure struggling to store as much water as they can fill, even in the small steel glasses. Because, water comes once in 12 to 15 days," said RD Yudhister, a retired army person.

"However, a few weeks before the announcement of the Municipal election schedule, people of the locality and the adjacent areas get water once in five to six days. But, will this continue or is it just a luxury given to the residents of the locality ahead of the elections? I am not sure about it," says Padmavathi, another resident from the same locality.

These are not the lone cases as nearly more than 50 per cent of the municipal divisions in the BJM are facing many other problems due to lack of civic amenities, the residents said.

For example, the roads in Michel Enclave are reasonably good. But, what they are lacking is the drinking water supply. Several wards falling under Kismatpur under the BJM, face drainage and drinking water problems, besides, sanitation is another big issue. Particularly, during the rainy season, says Rakesh.

That apart, houses in few localities near the Himayat Sagar area also face inundation problem. "As the growing apartment constructions have been building a compound wall around the apartment is leading to inundation of few houses with the rainwater getting pooled up. Nearly, for more than 10 days people have to live in the knee-deep water in their houses," said Bhaskar Reddy from Himayat Sagar.

The gated community called Wonder Quince Residency is one among scores of housing units which depend on filtering the bore waters for drinking purposes. When the bore wells go dry or when the residents fail to get the quantity of water, the, they will have to depend on purchasing water tankers or bottled water from the market.