Hundreds of residents in Hyderabad's Shantinagar Colony are living in a state of distress, trapped by overflowing sewage and a severe mosquito menace. The crisis stems from a leaking, decades-old pipeline near Hayathnagar Road, turning the locality into an unhygienic cesspool.
A Locality Submerged in Sewage
The core of the problem is a 25-year-old sewer pipeline that has exceeded its lifespan. Located just about half a kilometer from Hayathnagar Road, the pipeline has multiple joint failures, causing sewage to leak continuously. This has flooded internal roads, open plots, and low-lying areas, effectively cutting off access and surrounding several apartment complexes.
"We cannot keep our windows open for even a minute. The stench is unbearable and mosquitoes enter the house throughout the day. Children and the elderly are at risk of falling ill," said Gopal Reddy, a distressed resident of the colony. The stagnant water has created a perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes, triggering widespread anxiety about vector-borne diseases like dengue, malaria, and chikungunya.
Health Risks and Official Response
Many families report that children and elderly members have already fallen ill with fevers and infections, blaming the dire sanitary conditions. Despite numerous complaints to the civic authorities, no permanent solution has been implemented.
Officials from the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWSSB) acknowledged the severity of the issue. A senior HMWSSB official confirmed that the over two-decade-old sewer line is severely deteriorated. The official stated that a permanent resolution is linked to a new sewage treatment plant (STP) being constructed in Pedha Amberpet. Once operational, a new 12 km sewer pipeline will be installed to replace the ageing infrastructure.
Temporary Fixes Fail to Assure Residents
Until the new pipeline becomes a reality, HMWSSB officials claim they are undertaking temporary measures like manual desilting and clearing blockages to reduce inconvenience. However, the residents of Shantinagar Colony remain deeply unconvinced.
Locals argue that the pipeline requires urgent replacement, not temporary patchwork. They allege that the stop-gap arrangements are insufficient to tackle the scale of the problem, forcing families to endure unhygienic and unsafe living conditions indefinitely. The community continues to demand immediate and effective action from the authorities to restore basic sanitation and public health safety to their neighborhood.
