The Secunderabad Cantonment Board (SCB) has asked Cantonment residents to share their thoughts and concerns about the proposal to install meters for resident borewells. This notice has caused some upset among the locals who want the idea to be abandoned.
These regulations will be applied to all 60 Cantonments, including SCB, as stated in the Cantonments Act 2006. The aim is to protect groundwater and keep track of the amount of bore water being used by residents in the Cantonment area, according to a senior SCB officer.
To gather information, the board plans to survey existing borewells, tube wells, dug wells, and tunnel wells. This survey will include details such as when each borewell was created and the average daily water extraction. The SCB is also inviting objections or suggestions from locals. These can be submitted in person at the SCB office or emailed to ceo.scb2009@gmail.com within 30 days of the notice being published on December 27.
Some locals argue that the SCB has not provided enough water to residents and now plans to install meters on borewells. One resident named Raj Kumar suggests that instead of metering domestic borewells, meters should be installed on commercial borewells. Additionally, the Cantonment Board could make rainwater harvesting pits mandatory for locals to access electricity and water connections. These alternative policies would be more beneficial than installing meters.
S Ravendar, a member of Vikas Manch and a local resident, believes that installing meters on domestic borewells will place an additional burden on residents. The SCB already struggles with a water shortage and must purchase water from the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWSSB). Residents rely on groundwater and currently only receive drinking water once every four days.
The decision to install meters is seen as unjustified by many residents. They have been asked to provide their suggestions and objections on the matter, but past objections and suggestions have not been taken into account by the board.
