HYDERABAD: Almost each morning, traders of cloth market at Urdu Galli in Ghansi bazaar are awakened by an unpleasant and nauseous odour from a sewage line that has been merged into the rain water line in the area.
The smell that leaves them feeling queasy has been present from a month now in spite of the residents approaching the officials.
"The smell is pungent and it leaves us with headaches every single day. It has become nearly impossible to stay in this area from the past few days," said T.
Sunil Kumar, a resident of Ghansi Bazaar said. The problem is felt in many of the residential areas along the industrial area such as Subhash Nagar, Sowbhagya Nagar and Shapurnagar.
Other locals in the area also complain of uncovered drains and overflowing manholes. "I feel nauseating and get a bad headache because of the smell. There are children and elderly people who have been losing appetite because of the stink," says
Jahangir Shah.
Residents said the smell was from a nearby garbage dump but they later saw that someone had illegally merged the sewage and rain water lines, said Jahangir. "We will not stop complaining about this to the officials until this problem is fixed," he said.
Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (
GHMC) officials said they visited the area and that it was also inspected by the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWSSB) officials.
"The sewerage board officials will soon lay a new line to separate the sewage line and the problem will be fixed soon," said
Srinivas Reddy
, South Zone Zonal Commissioner, GHMC said.
HMWSSB General Manager
Vinod Bhargav
explained that some time back the
Quli Qutub Shah Urban Development Authority
did storm water drain work in the area to solve the issue of rain water inundation.
"They solved the issue of inundation and increase the flow in the sewage line but after they have increased the flow, there is a let out of gases from the open drains in the area," Bhargav said.