HYDERABAD: While the city water board has claimed that even those living in slums do not require free tankers and it will stop the facility with immediate effect, those living in slums will have to face a tough time. Many slums, even today, do not have public taps and are supplied with water by tankers once in three or four days.
Sunny Rai of Basti Vikas Manch said that contrary to the board’s claim that every household has a water connection, there is one water tap for every 25 to 30 households. “Parsigutta is a classic example. If you go to Addagutta, the slum-dwellers there get water once in three days. In Rasoolpura, it is worse _ once in five to seven days.
How will those earning around `100 a day afford to pay `800 or `1,000 for one water tanker,” he wondered. Several representations were given in the past to the board over the lack of water supply. “We do not deny that they have laid pipelines but we surely know that there is not enough water in Hyderabad to supply to all these homes. Where will they get water from?” he asked.