Hyderabad: With heavy rains lashing the city, knee-deep water entered the homes of Brahmanwadi residents, leaving a foul odour all over.
At least 70 houses have been surrounded by drainage water for two weeks, and the murky water has entered at least 30 of them. Residents have developed fever and vomiting as a result of the drain water entering their homes. The pungent odour and mosquito infestation not only affect their health, but they are also forced to walk through the drainage water to complete their daily tasks.
For the past 30 years, drainage water has been entering the houses, especially during the monsoon season in Lane Number 7 in Brahmanwadi. The residents' plight is so dire that they must frequently change their clothes after wading through the murky waters. "I work for a multinational company, and I have to change my clothes every day after passing through the drainage water," said a resident, Anil Kumar.
“Children have been trapped inside their homes for two weeks and have missed school. People are tired of drainage water entering their homes and have given up hope on GHMC officials, who have not visited the site in over a week. They tried to pump out some water, but it wasn't much help," he said.
Residents are concerned that sewage water entering their homes is causing diseases. Many residents in Lane Number 7 are becoming ill as a result of the drainage water remaining in their homes for an extended period of time, causing fever, vomiting, and other skin diseases. Children are also suffering as a result of the mosquito infestation. Despite several complaints to the GHMC, Anil Kumar claimed, the problem had remained for 30 years.
The open nala is an eyesore for residents. Furthermore, there is no compound wall to prevent drainage water from flowing into the lane. Residents claim that drainage work has begun in the last nine months, resulting in drainage water entering their homes, causing damage to electronic and furniture items and negatively impacting their health.
"Despite my complaints to GHMC officials, no action has been taken. When the drainage water and rain water enter our houses, TRS leader Kuna Venkatesh Goud who lives in lane number 4 makes a token gesture of distributing food to the residents. At least 40 kg of stored rice grains and other items have been spoiled by the drainage water. During the monsoon, the mosquito menace is severe, with the stagnant pool becoming a breeding ground," said Lalitha Rathod, a Lane 4 resident.
Another resident, Rajesh Singh, stated that there has been no anti-mosquito fogging in the area in the last five months. Kuna Venkatesh Goud, on the other hand, stated that the GHMC was working on a project to install a new drainage pipeline and build a new compound wall. "It's a Rs 45 crore project, so it'll take time," he explained.
In fact, garbage is dumped in front of houses where there is open nala, and people have begun to take it casually. When this correspondent visited the area, children were seen defecating in the open. When asked why they were defecating in the open in front of their houses, the children said it didn't matter because there was garbage all around.
The residents clean the drainage water themselves, and the most difficult part, they say, is clearing the debris and garbage that gets stuck on the floor as a result of the drainage water entering their house, and cleaning it is an unpleasant task.
