Zoroastrian Fire Temple Affected by Sewage Backflow Amid Hotel Expansion
HYDERABAD: Officials of the Bai Maneckbai fire temple, a holy place for the Zoroastrian community, located in Abids, alleged that a popular restaurant had blocked the sewage line passing from behind the premises, causing backflow onto the temple premises.
It is also causing severe inconvenience to 45 families living in the vicinity.
Temple officials said that Santosh Dhaba, a vegetarian restaurant, went for a building expansion on March 9, 2022, which blocked the sewage line and shutting it with concrete. As this is the only outlet for the fire temple, the sewage backflows due to lack of an outlet, especially into the sacred well, around which all rituals are based.
“Since we are in minority, our plight is not heard by anyone,” a community member said.
The affected parties said they made multiple representations to government authorities, the Jambagh corporator and the Goshamahal MLA, but to no avail.
Russi Doctor, secretary of the temple, said: “We have raised complaints with the GHMC and HMWS&SB, but no action was taken. We approached the local corporator, who turned back without helping us. We met Goshamahal MLA T. Raja Singh, but he did not extend help. We also approached the Minority commission, but all our efforts have been futile.”
Thirty Bapooj, a retired school principal in her mid-nineties, one of the affected residents, said: “Despite being confined to a wheelchair, I sometimes have to remove the sewage using buckets. During monsoon, we are marooned.”
Fram Desai, another affected resident, said, “Stagnation of the sewage is causing foul smell. Residents are also falling ill and we are not able to perform any ritual here because of this.”
The Bai Maneckbai temple has been in existence since 1904, having received heritage awards for its well-maintained structure. It spans across one-and-a-half acres and is visited by Parsis from across the state. It also houses a residential colony that is mainly inhabited by Zoroastrians.
