The city has received excess rainfall this monsoon. Yet residents of a large number of colonies in Secunderabad Cantonment limits are facing a severe shortage of water. Residents of Anna Nagar receive water supply once a week, and there are many such areas in Cantonment. Ward members say that neither the state nor the centre wants to step in to resolve the problem.
“If we (Cantonment) could pay Rs 20-odd crore to the Water Board towards connection charges, the water problem would be resolved. We along with MP Sarve Satyanarayana have met the officials in the defence ministry, including Union minister of state for defence Pallam Raju, but not a single penny has been released. The defence ministry owes over Rs 200crore service charges to the Secunderabad Cantonment Board,” says ward member J. Pratap.
On the contrary, the Water Board has made it clear that additional water would not be released until the SCB pays connection charges totalling nearly Rs 20crore. The Water Board has laid a major water pipeline from the Mahendra Hills to Karkhana and another pipeline network in Bolaram. “These pipelines have remained dry for the last three years. We met municipal administration principal secretary B. Sam Bob, Water Board MD Adhar Sinha and other officials. We urged them to release at least 5 lakh gallons per day from the Mahendra Hills for which the SCB will immediately pay Rs 3 crore and the balance amount in six months. But the Water Board is not willing to release additional water until total connection charges are paid,” claims ward member Venkat Rao. As a result, most SCB areas are reeling under a water shortage. The SCB requires 75 lakh gallons daily against the current supply of up to 50 lakh gallons. If 20 lakh gallons of additional water is supplied through the two new pipelines, the water problem would be resolved in Cantonment.
Water Board director in-charge (technical) Sundar Ram Reddy says the Board is paying Rs 30crore towards electricity bills to pump Krishna Water. “Where will the money come from if bulk water supply consumers like SCB do not pay even connection charges?” he asked.