No water for 20 days: Hyderabad residents struggle to cope as summer fast approaches

Many areas, especially in the old city, are suffering from severe water scarcity.
No water for 20 days: Hyderabad residents struggle to cope as summer fast approaches
No water for 20 days: Hyderabad residents struggle to cope as summer fast approaches
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Mohammad Zain, a resident of Azampura, one of Hyderabad's old suburbs, has been depending on his relatives and friends living in different areas, for the past 20 days, for a basic survival need - water.

There has been no water in Azampura for weeks now.

“From Azampura circle to Sahifa Post Office area, people have been facing the same issue. We have been giving written complaints and calling the water supply board officials, but have got no response. I have to leave for work every morning but before that, I first have to go to a friend's or a relative's place to get a full can of water for my family. This has become a headache for us,” he says.

But even before the taps dried up completely, Azampura had been facing a severe water crisis. For nearly a month prior to this, the area was receiving water only once in two days and that too, at odd times.

“I had to stay awake till 12.30 at night for filling enough water for two days. I have to wake up at 7am, so I prefer sleeping by 10, but because of the odd timings, it was hard to manage. If we miss the water release, there will be no water for the next two days. Also, I couldn't call any official if there was a problem with the water release. Who will pick up the call at 1am?” he asks.

38-year-old Syed Irfan, another resident of Azampura colony, says that he's forced to buy cans of drinking water on alternate days.

“For drinking water, I have to buy the Rs.30 water can almost every alternate day, but what about other household work?” he questions.

The borewell water in the area has always been a problem, Meesam Raza, another resident, notes. He claims that every fortnight, the water they receive is dirty.

“We use the borewell water for household purposes. However, that water is so dirty that it is impossible to even use it to wash hands. The water is blackish in colour and smells bad. It's as if drain water is flowing from the tap. The situation gets bad every month but officials do not find a permanent solution to this,” he alleges.

Some believe that the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWSSB) is deliberately discriminating against certain areas.

“This is the case of half the city, especially the old city. This part of the old city has been discriminated against. Nearly 70% of the old suburbs area have been suffering from the same problem, including the Malakpet area and Azampura. There is no proper water supply in these areas,” says Amjed Ullah Khan, a spokesperson of Majlis Bachao Tehreek and a resident of the old city.

He highlights the plight of people living in the area, claiming that the old suburbs in Hyderabad have been neglected by the government.

“During election time, the TRS government promised to give water supply daily to the people of Hyderabad, we are still waiting for that promise to be fulfilled. However, nothing  has been done so far,” he says.

When TNM contacted the HMWSSB, the concerned manager was not available to give a response.

Amjed Ullah also said that in many parts of the city, people who do not have a water connection have to pay a certain amount for each drum provided by HMWSSB.

“It should be provided free of cost,” he asserts.

For over a month now, the HMWSSB has been digging up roads in a bid to lay pipelines for uninterrupted water supply. However, this move has only added to the woes of the people living in the affected areas.

“The problems we face have worsened after government workers started digging up the roads in our area. It has become difficult for four wheeler owners to take out their cars. Even if HMWSSB tankers arrive to provide water, the vehicles get stuck at the entrance of the colony,” Syed points out.

With soaring temperatures and summer fast approaching, there appears to be little relief in sight for these residents of Hyderabad.

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