MS Maqtha residents battle contaminated drinking water
HYDERABAD: Residents of MS Maqtha in Somajiguda Division, Khairatabad constituency, have faced contaminated drinking water for the past two years. Sewage regularly mixes with the water supply because decades-old, undersized pipelines cannot handle the area’s growing population.
Speaking to HyderabadMail, Mohammad Feroz Uddin, a social worker in MS Maqtha, said the problem has continued for two years despite repeated complaints to water board officials. He said, “We’ve told the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewage Board (HMWSSB) Managing Director(MD), Joint MD, Chief General Manager, and Manager several times, but no one has responded,”. Furthermore, he added that they also raised the issue with the local MLA and a former corporator from the Congress party. “We’ve suffered for two years, we aren’t even getting clean drinking water,” explained Feroz Uddin.
Moreover, Feroz Uddin said MS Maqtha now receives water only twice a week. He blamed the contamination on a badly deteriorated sewage system. Specifically, old sewage lines leak into the drinking water supply.
He said manholes are not being maintained, which causes drainage problems. In addition, population growth has made things worse. The area grew from about 12,000–20,000 residents to nearly 45,000–48,000. Yet, the neighborhood still uses old 4-inch sewage lines that were never upgraded. As a result, “Despite this increase, we’re still using the old 4-inch sewage lines, which have mostly burst. That’s why sewage is mixing with the drinking water,” he said.
Feroz Uddin said the water and drainage problems were not this bad before. Comparing the situation to previous years, he said, “This wasn’t the case under the previous government, we’re facing much more trouble now.” Additionally, he said residents submitted a formal complaint to the Chief General Manager.
Feroz Uddin also raised the issue publicly. He described the situation as a serious public health concern. Residents blame the crisis on old pipelines, unmaintained manholes, inadequate sewage capacity, and a lack of response from officials and politicians. The water crisis in MS Maqtha is still unresolved. Residents are calling for urgent upgrades to the sewage system and a return to clean, regular water supply.
