Whitefield area in Kondapur plagued by sewage overflow, no relief in sight

Hyderabad: The Whitefield Area in Kondapur, which is home to a large number of techies and is close to the IT hubs of Gachibowli and Hi-Tec City, has been dealing with overflowing sewage for several days with no relief in sight. Since the last few weeks, the center of thriving real estate has been the victim of officials' callousness in failing to address the sewage problem, with residents living in several apartments finding it simply intolerable due to the nostril-punching odor.

The situation is most serious on BP Raju Marg, where at least eight apartments have foul-smelling water that refuses to settle. The recent rains have exacerbated the issue, making it harder for inhabitants to go about their daily lives in the area. Residents of Lotus Arcade, Golden Habitat, Siri Sampada, and Jaya Enclave, among other complexes near the end of BP Marg, have been dealing with the stench-filled overflow for more than three weeks.

"We have contacted officials from the GHMC and the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board in order to resolve the issue. They came, saw, and failed to address the problem," said Nagesh Kurella, a resident of Jaya Enclave, the worst hit apartment. Contaminated water is not the only issue; deliberately choked drain lines (with cement bags, etc.) are the bigger issue, he lamented.

His neighbour added that the staff had visited the spot and attempted to resolve the sewage overflow issue on more than two occasions, but the solutions were only temporary. "They come with a suction pump, squash a little fresh water, remove the trash, and leave, but the problem returns within 48 hours. We are also encouraging residents not to flush trash, diapers, sanitary waste, and other items down the drains," he stated.

According to Shankar Chelluri, a Lotus Arcadia resident and secretary, all the sewage and waste from the restaurants at the beginning of the lane, which is on higher ground, reaches the end of the lane. "We are the ones who suffer the most since the staff has not cleared the silt. The interconnectedness of the sewage and storm water drains in this area is another factor contributing to the problem. This, coupled with the residents of another apartment, Bhavya Meadows, pumping their sewage into our lane, has made life unlivable here," he complained.

One of the apartments hired a suction pump for Rs 50,000 to address the problem after the sewage water got into their watchman's home. Another resident stated that they don’t let their children venture out to play because of the dangers of wading in the water at a time when microbial infections and water-borne diseases are on the rise.

“There should be a permanent solution. Every morning, we step out of our homes to walk into 6-8 inches of sewage," said Kurella, another resident of the area.

Residents are teaming together to meet with HMWSSB MD Dana Kishore, GHMC commissioner Lokesh Kumar, and city mayor Gadwal Vijaylakshmi in order to find a permanent solution to the problem.

"Our only appeal to them is - help us help you. There were times when some of our neighbours, in angst, said they'll boycott paying their property taxes, etc., but we convinced them that we can fight this better together. We are all willing to even pool in whatever money required to fix these issues," Chelluri appealed.