water pangs in January!

Thanks to HMWSSB, residents in many areas get erratic tanker supplies

It's just January and there are already apprehensions about the ensuing summer. After a particularly chilly season, there is a worry about the impending water problems given that water shortage is upsetting the residents in certain areas already.Many have started ordering for tankers from the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWSSB) and the reason is due to the poor rains in Telangana.

With monsoon playing truant in 2014 and meagre rainfall being recorded in Hyderabad and surrounding districts, there have been no inflows into five major reservoirs -- Akkampally (Krishna), Singur, Manjira, Osmansagar and Himayatsagar which cater to the drinking water needs of over 90 lakh population of Greater Hyderabad, Secunderabad (Cantonment) and the neighbouring districts.

As of December 31, the Water Board stated that Osmansagar has a reserve that can cater to the needs for another 102 days. But since the board doesn't exhaust all its stock, they have started cutting down on the supply, which is leading to a delay in its delivery through tankers, particularly in Dilsukhnagar, LB Nagar, Kukatpally and parts of Cyberabad, where it could take 48 hours.

Kumar, a resident of Allwyn Colony in Kukatpally, says, “Usually our bore wells dry up in May. But this time the groundwater dried up in November end itself. For the past one month, it has become a norm where water tankers arrive after a delay of a day or two. Even though we make a request online on the Water Board’s website, the assurance of a tanker is only guaranteed after repeated calls to the local HMWSSB office.”

“The delivery of water tankers is a big ordeal as it is continuously delayed. We order for two tankers delivering 5,000 litres of water each. We are supposed to pay only Rs 400 for each tanker. But the driver charges Rs 50 extra for delivery charges even though our apartment is close to the water plant. We keep warning him, but he takes advantage of the water crisis,” says Narender of Chitra Layout in LB Nagar.

Some residents, however, have decided to switch to private water tankers to ensure timely supply. “There are 700 residents in our apartments. Our normal demand is one tanker each day, which in economic terms approximately comes to Rs 500 to Rs 600 everyday. Private suppliers charge more than the Water Board’s but the residents don’t mind as we are ensured water supply on time. They know that if there is deficiency in service, people will opt for other private players,” says Praju Nambiar from Moti Nagar in Borabanda.

On the irregular supply, Anand Swaroop, General Manager for HMWSSB's Malkajgiri circle, replied, “We don’t face this problem every year but due to deficient in monsoon, most borewells have not been replenished. The problem is acute in areas like LB Nagar and Kukatpally where we are seeing excessive demand. Despite a delay, we are trying to meet the demand.”

By:P Krishnamurthy