The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : ‘We are forced to buy water’

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Monday, Jan 07, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

‘We are forced to buy water’

Staff Reporter

Residents complain about lack of drinking water, improper drainage system

– Photo: G. Krishnaswamy

Complaints galore: Members of resident welfare association present their grievances to Mines and Geology Minister Sabita Indra Reddy at the Colony Associations review meeting on Sunday.

HYDERABAD: A colony review meeting held by Rajendranagar Municipality came in handy for the residents to air their grievances. They poured out their woes, from lack of drinking water to improper drainage system, at the meeting organised at Upparpally crossroads here on Sunday.

Mines and Geology Minister, P. Sabita Indra Reddy, chaired the meeting that was attended by association members in large numbers.

Addressing on the occasion, Ms. Reddy said the State Government had sanctioned Rs. 90 crore exclusively for taking up developmental works, including supply of drinking water, construction of roads and so on, in Rajendranagar municipality.

Already tenders worth Rs. 34 crore were invited and works would commence within a month, she assured the association representatives.

While, some urged the minister to construct recreation parks in the colonies, others demanded regular drinking water supply.

“Even in these days we are forced to purchase drinking water paying Rs. 20 per 20-litre can from private suppliers. It would be helpful, if authorities supply drinking water through tankers until a proper drinking water system is arranged,” said Sudheer Reddy, president of Krishna Nagar.

Similar was the situation in Raghavendranagar Co-operative Housing Society Limited, PLNR Apartments, Fort View Colony and several other colonies which also lacked proper drainage system. There were also requisitions to make the builders responsible for penalisation and payment of regularisation fee for unauthorised constructions and not flat owners.

Nalanda Welfare Association members informed Ms. Reddy that there were vast open spaces in the colonies. They said such lands lacked proper fencing and owing to negligence of civic authorities in maintaining them, realtors were fast encroaching them.

GHMC Zonal Commissioner (South) B.S Reddy replied that an Assistant Engineer would be specially made in-charge to check and eradicate such encroachments in the municipal limits.

He said identification and fencing of such open lands would be commenced within a week.

He further informed that a special complaints cell would be opened in the Zonal Office very soon.

Later the Minister was felicitated by several resident welfare association members who urged her to conduct such meetings on a regular basis for the benefit of city dwellers.

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