HYDERABAD: Its just been two weeks since Salman Rahim, a resident of B S Maktha in Somajiguda, was discharged from the hospital where he was admitted for dengue. He has since padded his entire house with mosquito nets. “I have three children and I don’t want them to fall sick,” said Rahim. “Every few days, the drains before the house overflows and floods the area and hence the mosquitoes,” he added.
A year ago, Rahim’s wife Arshya, a doctor by profession, too had contracted dengue.
“Mosquito and water-borne diseases are common here,” said Arshya. “Sometimes the tap water gets mixed with drain water and has a brackish colour. Those who can afford will get mineral water but most people in this area belong to low-income groups. So gastrointestinal diseases and skin diseases due to exposure to sewage water are common among children,” she added. The family that has battled dengue blame the ever-clogged drains of Maktha for the deteriorating health among residents of the area.
Yasin Mallick is a resident of Maktha who has taken upon himself to call Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWSSB) every week to clear the clogged drains. “They use the water jet machines but it is not effective. So someone has to enter the drain to clean it,” said Mallick. “Also they remove the silt and place it on the road for another team to clear. But that team may or may not even show up. The silt then turns slushy during the next rain and the whole area stinks, “ he added.
Officials giving up?
The clogged drains are not just restricted to B S Maktha, and other areas in the ward too face the same issue. The road, on which G Sathyanarayanan works as a supervisor for 58 apartments at Maruti Southern Apartments in Begumpet, has a clogged drain for over a month. “There is construction work going on and their debris clogs the drains. The HMWS&SB came a few times but has given up as they cannot resolve the issue.”“I am tired of talking to these officials and the corporator, but there is no improvement in the situation,” said Srinivas Rao (name changed), a resident of Sri Sai Nilayam, located in Kapadia lane near Red Rose Cafe.
“We are aware of the issue in Maktha and know that it is severe, but in other areas the drainage problem is not serious,” said Vijaya Lakshmi, GHMC corporator. “HMWS&SB estimates that it will cost `1 crore to solve the drainage problem in Maktha, but that too is only temporary. At present, I am unable to visit the area due to poor health,” she added.