Hyderabad: The residents of Mallepally, Sitarambagh, and surrounding areas have been receiving drinking water mixed with sewage water for the last three months, raising serious health concerns. Residents are frustrated as they receive visibly polluted, blackish water with a foul smell from their drinking water taps, and they blame the Water Board for remaining unresponsive to their numerous complaints.

According to the residents, the contamination has been persistent. K Naresh, a resident of Mallepally, said: “We have been receiving sewerage water for the last two months. Despite bringing this to the Water Board’s attention, the issue has not been rectified. For at least one hour we receive black polluted water.”

Another resident, Anil Neelam, stated that the drinking water in the area is contaminated with sewage, smells foul most of the time, and cannot be used for any purpose. “We the residents are receiving polluted water which may affect health and may attract other water-borne diseases like diarrhoea,” he added.

Locals pointed out that one of the reasons for the contamination is the lack of an integrated drainage network, where continuous overflow of sewage water sometimes leads to it mixing with the drinking water supply. As a result, many waterborne diseases have been reported.

Siddharth, a resident of Sitarambagh, noted the worsening quality: “We have been receiving polluted blackish water, with a foul smell. Earlier, the water would be blackish grey for the first few minutes but would clear up. For over three months, the water quality has worsened to the point where it is not even used for any purpose.”

Earlier, the issue was also raised by Mohammed Ahmed on social media, who uploaded a video and pictures of the polluted water coming from the drinking water tap. The post stated that such water was coming in various areas, and Ahmed highlighted that residents were suffering from viral fevers and infections. He urged authorities to rectify the problem, tagging the HMWS & SB and other officials in his post on X. Ahmed expressed frustration over the lack of action from authorities, saying: “The residents filed multiple complaints and officials are aware of the problem, but nothing has been done.”

Shaik Ahmed, a resident near Jaundice clinic in Sitarambagh, summed up the situation: “The drinking water issue has become a never-ending problem. Due to this, we are forced to purchase water cans.”