Hyderabad: Residents of Suman Housing Colony in Secunderabad’s West Marredpally have been facing hygiene issues for the last two years due to a blame game over repairs of sewage overflow between the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water and Sewerage Board (HMWSSB) and the Secunderabad Cantonment Board (SCB) authorities. The impasse has led to unhygienic conditions in the colony for the past two years.
On March 4, a major protest was held over the issue in which over 80 residents of the Suman Housing Colony took to the streets. Speaking to Siasat.com, president of the Suman Colony residents welfare association, Prakash Rao said, “The issue has been persistent for a very long time. When the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) constructed the 2 BHK houses in the nearby area, they connected the sewerage pipeline to that of ours.”
He said that the sewerage pipeline of the colony is small and has burst several times after being connected to the 2 BHK lane.
“This has caused overflow of sewage for the last two years. We have had to construct a speed breaker in order to stop the flow of sewage into our gated community,” said the joint secretary of the welfare society, Mahatma Rao Gundu.
In a strong message to the authorities, the Colony residents put up a massive board at the entrance that read “Maisamma Temple to Agra Sweet House Main road, West Marredpally, drainage problem – public suffering for last 2 years, officers please take action immediately” in bold letters.
Residents stated that they had written to the GHMC and the HMWSSB but to no avail.
Protest forces officials to respond
Following the recent protest, local MLA Sri Ganesh and officials of the GHMC, HMWSSB and SCB rushed to the spot.
A resident of the colony in the Secunderabad Cantonment, Prem Kumar, expressed concern over the hazardous impact the sewage could have on the people of the locality, especially children. “Several letters have been written to the GHMC and HMWSSB over the years. However, there is no work done to address the issue,” he said.
Another protestor who requested anonymity said, “The protest was done with the police permission, yet the police personnel tried to stop us. This is a persistent issue and we are demanding a solution to it.”
Siasat.com accessed several letters sent by the residents to the authorities, including three recent appeals addressed to the Secunderabad Cantonment Board (SCB) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Madhukar Naik.
However, the problem remains unresolved as officials continue to pass the buck. The GHMC has denied any responsibility, stating that the matter falls solely between the HMWSSB and the SCB.
HMWSSB, SCB footballing responsibility for Secunderabad colony’s sewage overflow
While residents of the Secunderabad colony are facing issues with the sewage, the HMWSSB and SCB authorities indulged in a blame game in terms of jurisdiction. “Areas under the GHMC where the 2BHK apartments have been constructed, the sewerage line has been connected to the small pipeline of ours which is not proper. In this regard, we have written to the HMWSSB,” said Madhukar Naik, CEO of the SCB.
On the other hand, officials from the water board have denied responsibility, stating that it isn’t under their jurisdiction. “This area is under the jurisdiction of Cantonment, MLA Sri Ganesh had asked Cantonment authorities to take up the work. We were at the location for the inspection.”
Amidst this footballing of responsibility, the authorities display apathy towards the issues of the residents of the Secunderabad colony who continue to suffer for the past two years.
