The Water Board is not adhering to scheduled water supply timings, putting citizens to severe inconvenience. With temperatures rising and most borewells already empty, the erratic water supply is leaving the residents in a crisis.
Even though the Water Board has announced the water supply schedule and posted the locality-wise data of “water supply timings” on its website, the schedule is not being followed due to disruptions in power supply and other local problems. The residents think the Board should send SMSes if it is going to miss the scheduled times. “The Board sends monthly water bill details to consumers on their cellphones. So why can’t it SMS the water supply timing details?” Taher Kamal Khan, of Malkajgiri, Secunderabad, asked.
Several colonies and gated communities in surrounding municipalities and city outskirts get water once a week. There are colonies that receive water once in five days. Some families go without water supply for 10 days, said Raghava Chary of Kapra, Secunderabad. People are also worried about the water cuts. “According to the Board’s website, our colony should get water once in three days. But that isn’t happening. The Board did not even inform us about any change in supply timing,” complained Sri Lakshmi, of Sainathpuram.
The Board’s website reveals that even though it has posted locality-wise supply timings for most areas, it has not given any supply timings for a large number of colonies in Kapra and Malkajgiri municipal areas, where the water problem is acute. Board officials admitted that there was a water supply problem. They said the water supply schedule was often thrown out of gear due to power disruptions. “Sometimes the power supply trips at the main pumping stations outside the city or goes kaput at distribution reservoirs within the city,” they said.