Karkhana, Marredpally reel under water crisis

Kharkhhana/Marredpally: Within a span of a few months the residents of Kharkhana and Marredpally are once again reeling under a water crisis. The residents are receiving water once a week and are purchasing water cans. There are close to 13,000 taps in these two areas, but all have gone bone dry.

"It has been 7 days that the entire area received water supply. Even after several complaints, authorities are silent," said Fareeda, a resident of AP Textbook Press Colony, Karkhana.

"We received water after a long stretch on extremely low pressure and there were only ants and dirt," she added. The Secunderabad Cantonment Board (SCB) supplies water to 15,000 consumers through pump houses in 10 localities and serves close to 3.5 lakh consumers in 40.17 sqkm.

It may be noted that recently the SCB wrote to the Water Board that it would be unable to pay the bills due to a financial crunch. Officials said that unless all the illegal connections were regularised, they would not be able to pay the monthly bills that amount to Rs 2.5 crore per month.

Another local said, "After a lot of issues we received permission to dig up the pipeline and check for the underlying trouble. The worker told that the pipeline needs to be changed as it is not carrying the water pressure. Since then the issue is left unattended."

At a construction site in Kharkhana, the borewell digging took up to two days. "We have been working for two days and there is trace of water at 500 ft. The area is completely dried, and water is a major issue," said one of the site workers. With rising temperatures most of the borewells have gone dry, and the only source remains the GHMC water supply for many people apart from private tankers.

"I work at one of the residences here and most of the days there is no water to carry out daily work. Everyone is booking private tankers and only then I am able to do my work," said one of the residential workers. The colony provided tankers to the residents and the colony watchman says that nearly 10-15 tankers are supplied everyday only within the colony.