"We have an infant in our home. On the tenth day (after birth), we usually perform the first bath ceremony, but even for that, we did not have any water in our home," sighs Santhu Prasad, a senior resident of Devi Nagar Colony in Hyderabad.
It's been two months since the borewell at Prasad's home dried up. They have been managing by getting water cans from neighbours. To make things worse, the Municipal water supply has become erratic. They have been receiving water only once in five or six days in recent times.
The situation of several residents in and around Ramakrishna Puram Lake (RK Lake) is similar.
It's been three summers since the renovation work in the lake area began under Mission Kakatiya, a lake revival project started by the Telangana government. The lake was emptied out for conducting the renovation work, but till date, it continues to be empty.
"We have been in this colony for more than two decades now, and we have never faced water issues earlier. However, after the lake was dug up, our borewells dried out," says Prasad.
"Due to the lockdown, all four of us in the family are staying indoors, and water is a basic necessity for maintaining hygiene in the time of coronavirus. How do we live without water?" asks another resident who wished to be anonymous.
The regular supply of Municipal water from the Hyderabad Metro Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWSSB) has also been irregular. Earlier, the residents used to get water supply on alternate days, then it became once in three days and now, it's once in five days, allege residents.
The residents of colonies surrounding RK Lake -- Devi Nagar, Sainik Nagar, Seetaram Nagar, West Krishna Nagar, Balaram Nagar, Old Neredmet, New Vidya Nagar, Ramakrishna Puram Basti, Vivekananda Puram, Raghavendra Nagar, Matrupuri, Raghavendra Heights and Shakti Nagar -- are adversely impacted by the reduced ground water table.
Vexed with the water troubles, residents have even started a Change.org petition addressed to Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao and other public representatives. It has so far been signed by more than 400 people.
In the petition, the residents have asked for the completion of pending drainage work so that the lake at least fills up during the next rainy season.
"In spite of your good offices being extremely busy, we request you to take this priority so as to make use of the coming rainy season. In the absence of which, the said colonies would have to go through much more hassles in the next summer," read the petition.
The residents have also demanded that the HMWSSB supplies water every alternate day for the coming month to address the grave situation which the colonies are currently facing.
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