Elected representatives from Wards 2 and 5 of the Secunderabad Cantonment Board on Thursday staged a rally outside the bungalow of Mr S. Balakrishna, CEO of the board, accusing him of dilly-dallying in solving citizens’ water woes.
One of the Board members, S. Kesav Reddy, doused his body with petrol and threatened to immolate himself if the problem was not solved on a war footing. “When my people are not getting water even after submitting repeated representations, it is better to end my life in front of the CEO's house,” he said.
Police rushed to the spot and registered cases against several Board members for trespassing and threatening the CEO.
Officials from the SCB said they were pursuing the issue with the Water Board, observing that some people were using it for a political gain. There was a disapproval expressed of elected members being a party to the rally.
“The SCB requires about 75 lakh gallons of water per day, but the Board supplies only 38 lakh gallons per day, when the contract is for 55 lakh gallons,” said an official.
The summer months were aggravating the crisis. The officials assured that they would request the Water Board to add five more water tankers to the existing 10 and repair all the dried-up bore-wells.
Meanwhile, Begumpet police registered cases against Mr Kesav Reddy and few others for trespassing into the residence of the CEO and threatening him.
Begumpet inspector Y. Narasimha Reddy expla-ined that based on the complaint made by the CEO, they had registered cases against Board member Mr Kesav Reddy and a few others.