90% rainwater harvesting pits non-functional in Hyderabad
The much-touted rainwater harvesting pits project by the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) and the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWSSB) has been a non-starter if one were to go by the present state of the pits.
In some areas the pits have turned into dumping yards. Lack of maintenance has been the primary reason for the sorry state of affairs
Hyderabad: The much-touted rainwater harvesting pits project by the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) and the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWSSB) has been a non-starter if one were to go by the present state of the pits.
Almost 90 per cent of the pits are not functional. In some areas the pits have turned into dumping yards. The lack of maintenance has been the primary reason for the sorry state of affairs. Sambi Reddy of Lok Satta Party, says, “In Kukatpally, Jubilee Hills and Serilingampally, the pits were dug in 2013 but today none are functional. Mountains of mud, stones, granite and garbage are seen in the pits.”
In the last few years, the GHMC collected Rs 105 crore and HMWSSB collected Rs 33 crore from citizens. However, only Rs 6.82 crore was utilised for the construction of pits, which is not even 5 per cent of what was collected from the public. Sambi Reddy says, “The GHMC needs to spend Rs 130 crore immediately and make sure that the money collected from citizens is put to use. The groundwater levels in Hyderabad and Ranga Reddy districts have already plummeted to dangerous levels.”
Srinivas of United Federation of Resident Welfare Associations (UFERWAS) says, “If Chennai can overcome water problem, Hyderabad also can, provided the civic body works with residential welfare associations. It is the only way forward, if people are involved in development activities it is bound to succeed.”
