Sewage floods streets in Jubilee Hills colonies after rains

Hyderabad: Heavy rains in Jubilee Hills have once again highlighted the problems caused by old, clogged sewer lines, leading to frequent overflow on streets and inconvenience for residents.

Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply & Sewerage Board (HMWSSB) managing director Ashok Reddy, conducted an on-site inspection to assess the situation and direct remedial measures.

Public faces waterlogging and sewage spillage

Residents in Venkatagiri, Krishnanagar Colony and Srinagar Colony reported streets flooding with sewage during rains.

Officials informed the MD that decades-old sewer pipelines, many buried beneath roads, were clogged with silt, debris and other waste materials. This blockage prevents sewage from flowing into proper drainage channels, causing it to overflow into streets and residential areas.

The overflowing sewage has disrupted traffic, posed health hazards and caused inconvenience for daily life in these neighbourhoods. In some areas, rainwater mixes with sewage, raising concerns over contamination and sanitation.

Temporary and permanent measures proposed

During the inspection, Ashok Reddy directed authorities to expedite de-silting works to provide immediate relief.

For a lasting solution, he suggested reconstructing manholes along the roads and conducting a detailed survey to develop a comprehensive Sewer Master Plan.

Dedicated sewer pipelines are also planned to prevent sewage from entering the GHMC rainwater channels.

GHMC coordination urged for rainwater management

The MD emphasised coordination with GHMC to ensure that desilting of rainwater channels is undertaken promptly, which could partially alleviate waterlogging problems. He called for a joint effort between Wthe ater Board and GHMC officials to resolve the issue effectively.

Drinking water valve repairs and bore well conversions

During his visit, the MD identified damaged drinking water valve chambers. He instructed the AMS agency to rebuild the valves alongside roads to prevent contamination from leakages and warned of strict action against negligence.

He also spotted unused hand pumps and directed their conversion into injection bore wells. Authorities were asked to identify additional inactive bore wells for similar conversion to optimise water resources.

Action taken against water wastage in Banjara Hills

In a separate move, two residents of Banjara Hills were fined for misusing drinking water supplied by the Water Board.

One individual was caught washing vehicles with drinking water and fined Rs 10,000, while another caused nearly a kilometre of water overflow due to negligence and was fined Rs 5,000.

The MD reiterated that drinking water should be used strictly for household consumption, warning that any misuse would attract stringent action.