HYDERABAD: It’s the early weeks of summer and hundreds of residents around Jagadgirigutta near Kukatpally are already forced to rely on the few bouts of water that is let out once in four or five days.
When one visits the place during water supply, they cannot fail but notice the pipes, wires and motors: all efforts by residents to fill and store water for the next three days. “This is all we have for bathing, washing and other household activities. There are no borewells and hence we rely on drinking water supplied once in four days,” shared Saba Begum, a resident of Lenin Nagar in Jagadgirigutta. Her family of five survives on the three drums of water they fill for four days.
Most of the residents purchased motors with the hope that they can fill more water in the one-and-a-half hours that the supply lasts. However, not everyone can afford to purchase motors and people like Bhagya Lakshmi, whose husband is a daily wager, has to climb the hillock to reach her home at least 20 times. “Ours is a rented home and there is no motor. First, I have to wait till everyone finishes their turn. By then, the flow of water becomes very thin,” shared Bhagya Lakshmi. Same is the case with this 16-year-old who has to keeps her drums at another resident’s home. “I stay on the other side, Anjaiah Nagar, and we get water once in five days. I want them to keep my drums so that they can fill water on Monday night as I cannot come all the way here at 1 am,” the girl rued.
Tanks for bore water were constructed a few years ago in Lenin Nagar but they became fully functional only on Ugadi. “We are glad that now we can fill some water from here. We do not have a motor and on some days we have to lose out on sleep as they supply late in the night,” said Sirisha, who moved into the area two years ago.
The water supply to the area is from the 5-million-litre reservoir up the hill. Another 7-million-litre reservoir is under construction and expected to be completed in next three months. “Once this is completed, we can ensure that water supply is as frequent as once in three days. Right now, water from this reservoir is being supplied to 20,000 connections under Adarsh Nagar and also another 6,000 under Shapur Nagar which doesn’t come under Adarsh Nagar section. A reservoir is also under construction in Shapur Nagar and that will also ease things a bit,” explained Jatothu Shiva, manager at the reservoir construction site.