Power, water crises looming

Hyderabad: With summer just a month away, power and water crises are threatening the city once again. Residential colonies (independent houses, apartments and gated communities), that are already dependent on tankers due to failed monsoons, have booked tankers (sometimes three tankers per day for a wholesale price on 30 per cent discount) in advance for the whole season, expecting the conditions to worsen gradually.

The cost of groundwater per house (depending on usage) increases by Rs1,000 to Rs3,500 per month in summer till June. For drinking water, many residents depend on packaged water. Alok Mishra, general secretary of a gated community comprising 700 flats in Moti Nagar, said, “Because of the bad monsoons, out of 700 flats, 350 have been placing orders for tankers even during winter  15 tankers of 10,000 litre capacity per day  while the association also maintains water timings in worse situations. Each flat is charged Rs 1,000 extra for water supply.”

“Three private vendors supply us bore water and since the association purchases in bulk, we get it for 30-40 per cent less during summers and lesser in winter,” he said. Many gated communities have made advance arrangements to face the summer. Vishwar Rao, of Alwal Hills said, “Fearing that the season will be worse, Alwal Hills have already made advance booking for tankers (three tankers of 10,000 litres a day from March till May) because during the peak season even agencies fall short of supply. If we book now, the apartments get water at a wholesale rate, so that we don’t have to pay a lot during summer.”

Most of the apartment associations in Habsiguda, Tarnaka, Begumpet, Toli Chowki, Red Hills, Marredpally, Sainikpuri, A.S. Rao Nagar, Safilguda, Malkajgiri, Mettuguda, Madhapur, Uppal and L.B Nagar have already made advance bookings.

“There are hundreds of private water tanker agencies which follow a policy to serve nearby customers only. For instance, an agency at Chikalgudda will only serve Seethaphalmandi, Tarnaka, Vidya Nagar, Osmania University campus and Padmarao Nagar customers while refusing a customer from Begumpet or Bowenpally. Every area has a minimum of three private agencies that have tied up with gated communities and huge residential colonies,” said Satwika Rao, president of Chikalguda Apartment Association.