Sewage from Indian Airlines Colony floods Viquar Nagar in Begumpet after heavy rain
Begumpet: As the days go by, the woes of residents in Viquar Nagar, Begumpet, show no signs of abating. Following heavy rains last night, the continuous flow of sewage from manholes has once again plagued the area. Residents are pleading with officials from the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWSSB) to take meaningful action instead of providing temporary fixes for sewage overflow and waterlogging.
MA Ahmed, a local resident, expressed his frustration with the Hyderabad Mail. “Recently, the sewage from Indian Airlines Colony has been diverted to the slum area pipeline, leading to frequent overflows that cause significant inconvenience to residents of Viquar Nagar, especially near Akbar Firewood shop,” he said. “The slums are struggling with the sewage issues from Indian Airlines Colony.”
Ahmed elaborated on the problem, stating, “A little rain, and this junction is overwhelmed with water from both areas. Manhole lids are flying off due to the pressure. This wasn’t an issue in the past, as we had an older line that managed the flow better. About a year ago, the Indian Airlines Colony connection was integrated with our area, and now we’re left with water everywhere.”
He noted that the HMWSSB had replaced the damaged 200mm diameter sewer line with a new 300mm diameter line in Viquar Nagar under the Prakash Nagar Section, SD-1, O&M Division No. VII. Talasani Srinivas Yadav, the Minister for Animal Husbandry, Fisheries, and Cinematography, laid the foundation stone for this project.
“However, this new line has created immense pressure on the existing system, making it unbearable. The recurring issues, especially during rains, indicate that this is not a sustainable solution,” Ahmed added.
Another resident, Rusty, took to the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to voice concerns about the situation. “The diversion of sewage from Indian Airlines Colony to the slum area pipeline is causing frequent overflows and inconveniencing residents of Viquar Nagar near Akbar Firewood,” he tweeted.
Elite colony sewage is diverted recently to slum area pipeline & the results frequent overflow causing inconvenience to residents of Viqar nagar near Akbar firewood in begumpet @MDHMWSSB @HMWSSBOnline @NeelimaEaty @THHyderabad @HiHyderabad @AmitLeliSlayer @umasudhir @sselvan https://t.co/QIJ5VHCgNP pic.twitter.com/yC86R68QtF
— Rusty (@Rusty_2001) October 1, 2024
In response to Rusty’s concerns, the HMWSSB official handle acknowledged the issue, stating, “Thank you for sharing the details. The complaint has been registered with token number 3854. We will forward it to the concerned officials and rectify the issue as soon as possible. Thank you.”
However, Ahmed criticised the response from HMWSSB, asserting, “This is not the solution we expect. It feels like they are offering excuses rather than addressing the main issue.”
Residents of Viquar Nagar are requesting that the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) install box-type rainwater harvesting manholes along the route from their neighbourhood to Oxford School. They believe these manholes will help manage rainwater more effectively and prevent the sewage overflow problems they have been experiencing.
Attempts to reach HMWSSB officials in Prakash Nagar for additional details were unsuccessful, but updates will be shared as soon as a response is received.
