HYDERABAD: Due to lack of water supply and proper sewage connection, dwellers of Dasaram Basthi slum in Sanathnagar ward are forced to defecate in the open regularly athough they have individual toilets. Recently, Hyderabad was declared as Open Defecation Free.The ironical part is that the people living in the slum work for the GHMC as garbage collectors but their employee does not seem to be interested in making their lives dignified. “There are some 120 toilets given to us by GHMC for free, but what is the use when there is no water supply or drainage facility,” said a resident. The residents have to shell out about about D30 every day for their daily water needs. “We go to a nearby colony and get 10 to 15 buckets of water everyday for two rupees each,” said another resident.
Corporator of Sanathnagar ward, K Laxmi Balreddy said that the land occupied by the slum dwellers was under litigation and there is nothing that can be done. “We are restricted from providing any amenities for the dwellers but we will ensure that the they would be allotted 2-BHK apartments soon”, she added.
Roads overflowing with sewage water
The well maintained roads of Sanathnagar ward are not of much help to the residents, thanks to poor sewage network that regularly forces them to wade through overflowing sewage water. Poor storm water drainage network is also a problem as even slightest of rainfall results in flooding of roads. “Overflowing of manholes in front of shops is a regular phenomenon. The corporator has turned a blind eye to this problem that is affecting our business” said a shop owner in Fateh Nagar.