Bowenpally residents face persistent sewage overflow as SCB fails to act

Residents of Hanumanji Colony and Icrisat Colony Phase 1 in Bowenpally, Hyderabad, have been struggling with severe civic issues, including overflowing sewage and damaged drains, since June 2023 due to inaction by the Secunderabad Cantonment Board (SCB). Despite numerous complaints, municipal officials have failed to resolve the issues, leaving local citizens to deal with contaminated water, open manholes, and indiscriminate waste dumping in their neighborhoods.

The affected residents reported that the unresolved civic problems have severely disrupted their daily lives. Over the past several months, community members have lodged more than 22 online complaints through official government grievance portals. In addition to these digital filings, residents have submitted written representations directly to the ward engineer and sent emails to senior SCB officials to draw attention to the deteriorating conditions.

However, residents alleged that their efforts have yielded little result. According to them, the majority of their complaints were either left unattended for long periods or closed by officials without permanently resolving the underlying issues. The SCB has reportedly failed to conduct proper inspections or provide any lasting solutions to the ongoing crisis.

Thejaswi Puthraya, a software professional and resident of Hanumanji Colony, explained that overflowing drains have become a recurring and exhausting problem for the locality. Puthraya stated that sewage regularly overflows onto the roads and enters residential areas. During the rainy season, the situation worsens significantly, forcing residents to walk through contaminated sewage water just to navigate their streets.

Another resident, Rajendra Kumar from Icrisat Colony Phase 1, highlighted the severe health hazards caused by the municipal neglect. Kumar claimed that the overflowing sewage water has repeatedly entered the borewell sump used by local families for their daily water needs.

Kumar expressed deep concern over the health risks this contamination poses to the neighborhood. He noted that although residents have reported the specific issue multiple times, SCB officials have still not properly inspected the area or taken any effective corrective measures to secure the water source.