Hyderabad, Trinet News, September 17: Amid criticisms that top officials at the GHMC head office remain indifferent to daily scams, irregularities, and the draining of treasury funds in the trifurcated GHMC, they are reportedly paying little attention to providing clean drinking water for themselves and their subordinate staff. Although the GHMC has Jal Mandali water connections, very few people use them for drinking. Before the financial crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic, mineral water was made available in every department and on every floor for officials, staff, and visitors alike without any distinction. However, a severe drinking water shortage has now gripped the GHMC, leaving officials and staff parched.
While mineral water cans are supplied to certain departments in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation, information indicates that the respective department heads are paying the bills out of pocket to procure them. Ramky, the company that entered into an agreement 14 years ago for door-to-door garbage collection, transport to dumping yards, and scientific landfilling under the name Ramky Sustainable, made special arrangements some time ago to provide drinking water on every floor. Initially, this water quenched thirst well, but now staff are afraid to drink it as it lacks quality and emits strange odors. Consequently, Class IV employees are reportedly forced to consume Ramky Sustainable water after lunch, exposing them to various health issues.
Staff allege that mineral water supplies are restricted only to certain officers in the GHMC head office near Tank Bund. Although the GHMC bears the responsibility of providing basic amenities to citizens within its limits, drinking water is not even available to visitors at the head office. Visitors coming from outside for various tasks are forced to buy water bottles if they feel thirsty. Although the Ramky company installed water purification machines on every floor under Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), there is no one to monitor the purity of the water or whether clean water is being supplied at all. Meanwhile, small mineral water bottles are visible only in the chambers of a few officials.
While the GHMC should be progressing by catering to the needs of city residents and providing basic facilities like drinking water to visitors at the head office, critics argue that the civic body is instead regressing due to arbitrary decisions, frequently exposed irregularities, malpractice, and the illicit wealth accumulation of officials.
