Despite tall claims by the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWS&SB), of promptly attending complaints of water pollution in old city, many households continue to receive polluted drinking water.
The residents of Shukoorjung-ki-devdi and Kalyani Nawab-ki-devdi in Bibi Bazaar are the latest victims of official apathy. About 100 households here are receiving polluted water for the last few weeks.
“We are getting polluted water through the pipelines for almost three weeks. The water appears yellowish, and emits foul smell,” complained Hussain Bin Omer, a local resident. “It has become a routine for me to bring the issue to the notice of the officials but still no action has been taken,” he adds.
The residents say that the officials had promised to lay new pipelines for the colony earlier. “They promised it about a year ago when we faced a similar problem and later failed to do so,” laments another resident.
Local residents suspect that the pipelines laid ages ago in the area could have become weak, hence absorbing the mud around them.
Due to constant supply of contaminated water many people have fallen ill, informed the residents.
“My father is not well for the last 15 days and doctors attributed it to the polluted water. Hence, we have stopped drinking the water and began to buy water from outside,” Hameeduddin, a student says.
Many residents said the Water Board has not bothered to ply water tankers despite the gravity of the issue.
However, P. Anand Naik, DGM, Sub Division No. III, Moghalpura, blamed the problem on the choking of sewerage lines in the area and said efforts are being made to permanently resolve the issue. As an alternative, water is being supplied through tankers.
