Published Jun 14, 2022 | 5:46 PM ⚊ Updated Jul 21, 2022 | 4:05 PM
Sewage has been spilling for several days onto the Srinagar Colony Main Road in Banjara Hills, Hyderabad. (The South First/Ajay Tomar)
The sewage leak that has been stinking up the Sri Nagar Colony Main Road around Banjara Hills — and also affecting life and business in the area — for four days may take at least another two to three days to fix, local authorities told South First on Tuesday, 14 June.
The prospective weeklong flow of sewer water on the roads has already made livelihood difficult for roadside sellers and pedestrians.
The roadside stalls are facing problems selling their wares — often fresh or cooked food items — amid the stench from the wastewater that vehicles splash towards them.
Meanwhile, pedestrians are having to navigate their way around the wastewater, as passing vehicles create a splash.
Asim Ali, a 49-year-old fruit seller, said he was having a tough time conducting business. “This sewer has been overflowing since Saturday,” he said.
“It is difficult for people to walk through the sewage water. Because of this, fewer customers than usual are coming,” he explained.
Some vendors have stopped working in the area altogether due to the sewage, he added.
“I used to make around ₹3,000 per day, but now it’s only around ₹2,000,” said Ali.
“Sewage board workers came on Saturday and shifted the water flow to this sewer. They did not tell us anything about the work or when it would be completed,” said Tinku Ramesh, whose shop is located right in front of the spilling sewage.
Workers employed by the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board, while attempting to fix the problem, claimed on Saturday that the electricity department broke the sewage pipeline on Friday.
“To repair the damage, we had to shift the water flow to the sewage that is overflowing now. It is causing inconvenience to people but there is no other option,” said one worker who did not wish to be named.
He added that the work would have to stop if there was rain.
He also lay the blame on the power distribution company.
An official from the Telangana State Southern Power Distribution Company Limited (TSSPDCL) — the government body that manages electricity supply in Hyderabad — said on condition of anonymity, “We were not made aware of any mistake from our department.”
Pointing to another, smaller sewer leakage nearby, flower-seller Mohammed Saleem, claimed it had been overflowing for a month now.
“Waterlogging is a continuous problem in this area every year,” he said.
Things become worse every monsoon, added the man who claimed to be a regular on the spot for 30 years.
“Water flows from the KBR National Park in Jubilee Hills to here and floods the whole road because the drains are choked,” claimed Saleem.
“Every year, sewage water overflows for about three to four months. Then it stops for a month or two as the sewage board resolves it,” another vendor said.
A senior HMWSSB official said that the board would soon deploy technicians to identify the areas suffering from spilling sewage and water-stagnation issues.
