Water remains the be all and end all of life. For some in the old city the day starts and ends with the endless struggle for water. There are pockets where people can be seen fetching water all the time.
The huge rush outside the Miralam filter, Jahanuma reservoir and Misrigunj reservoir tells it all. People can be seen collecting water here and carrying them in a variety of transports – cycles, autos, trolleys. What is surprising is the long distances they cover to fetch the water. Take the case of Shaikh Mumtaz of Farooqnagar beyond Falaknuma.
He makes three to four trips in his auto to Miralam Filters everyday to get water. Same is the case with Fareed of Hasan Nagar.
An autorickshaw driver, Mumtaz has to forgo his day's earnings whenever he has to fetch water for his home. Sometimes he also provides water to the local mosque. There are many like him, who are forced to collect water from far-off places.
There is a sever shortage of water in bastis such as Farooqnagar, Vattepally, handicapped Colony and Habeebnagar Colony. What compounds matters is the supply of water once in three days. Even when the water comes the pressure is extremely low and as a result houses on the incline don't get it. Most of the residents make use of small motors to pump water to their houses. One can see the motor sets before houses. “The pressure is very low. What can we do”, says Younus, a local.
Water problem is stated to have intensified during the last one month with the level in the Osmanagar dropping. There are couple of bore wells in these bastis but they are always crowded. “Tanker supply is there but it is not at all sufficient”, says Khaja Mohiuddin, a kirana merchant.
