The residents of Hyderabad who received the first gush of Godavari water were in shock when they saw muddy water come out of the taps. “It was mud, not water that was coming out” says a resident of Kukutpally. Though their worry subsided with an understanding that it may get cleaner after a while, nothing changed,.
Though the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWSSB) said that the Godavari water may contain slight turbidity for few days initially, but even after a week nothing changed.
At present, residents of Kukatpally, Qutubullapur, Seri Lingampally and Patancheru Banjara Hills, Jubilee Hills, Somajiguda, Punjagutta, Khairatabad have been receiving Godavari water since, but according to residents the water is not fit for consumption due to turbidity. The residents of Fatehnagar, and Madinaguda have also complained about turbidity.
“For the past few days, we have been getting muddy water. As it is unfit for drinking, we are using the water for other purposes like washing, in toilets and for gardening. Even after boiling the water, it is not fit for consumption, a resident of Bharathnagar in Kukatpally area, told TOI.
In turn Residents are forced to purchase mineral water at Rs 80 per can. The normal rate of a 25-litre mineral water bubble is Rs 40, but private firms have jacked up prices in view of the shortage of water supply.
Water board officials now say consumers will have to put up with turbidity (muddiness created by stirring up of sediment or suspended foreign particles) for another week. Till date, the water board’s Metro Customer Care (MCC) has received nearly 500 complaints on the turbidity issue.
“We had been warning consumers about the likely turbidity even before the release of the first phase. They have to either filter or disinfect the water before consumption,” the official said.