SANGAREDDY: Water woes have already begun in Sangareddy, the district headquarters town, with residents facing an unprecedented drinking water crisis as early as October.
Poor rainfall attributed to El Niño and the continued decline in water levels in the Manjira river, the town’s primary source of drinking water, have forced authorities to ration supplies. Water is currently being supplied to several colonies once every three days, while some areas receive it only once every four to five days.
Sangareddy town, which comprises 38 municipal wards, has a population of approximately 1.20 lakh. According to officials, the town requires one lakh gallons of drinking water a day. With water levels in the Manjira declining, the municipality is using 15 tankers to supply water to colonies facing the most acute shortages.
The situation is particularly severe in slum areas. While homeowners in newly developed colonies are drilling borewells to meet their water needs, residents of economically weaker section colonies are bearing the brunt of the shortage.
Officials of the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWSSB) maintain that the water available in the Singur project could last until January if used judiciously. However, residents are sceptical about the assurance amid the worsening situation.
With the threat of a prolonged water crisis looming, anxiety is growing among residents over how the town will meet its drinking water needs in the coming months.