HYDERABAD: Be it summer or winter, the water crisis in Secunderabad Cantonment Board appears to be constant. For years now, residents of SCB have been complaining about the irregular water supply, shortage of water and high water tariffs. On Sunday, several residents from Wards 5 and 6 of the SCB staged a protest. Interestingly, the protest was led by BJP workers. Former SCB vice-president J Rama Krishna, who was with the TRS earlier and is now with the BJP, was present at the protest.
Carrying empty earthen pots in their hands, and placards several men and women gathered near the Ambedkar statue in Karkhana to stage the protest. “Water is a basic necessity. While residents in one part of the city under the SCB are being deprived of it, on the other hand, in the same State, our CM is promising free water supply to the people living in GHMC. How is this fair,” asked N Hema.
Highlighting the tariff disparity, another protester said that HMWS&SB supplies water to residents of GHMC at `7 per unit, while SCB residents get water from HMWS&SB at `13 per unit, which is nearly double the rate. “Even though we pay extra, the water supply is irregular and insufficient. This is why we are urging the TRS government to correct the disparity in water tariff between the GHMC and SCB,” said Bhanuka.
Demanding justice for people, Rama Krishna, said, “If GHMC is getting free water from January, then we should also get the same. Other than that, the problem of irregular water supply should also be rectified immediately.” He added that if the TRS government ignored their demand, the protest would be intensified. “We will start a padyatra and gather more people from all the seven wards of SCB and stage bigger protests.”