Experts suggest treating sewage at source would reduce problem rather than widening nalas Separate sewage, stormwater networks to save roads Residents complain against Swachh staff

and professor for Centre of Excellence on Disaster Management, JNTU College of Engineering, Hyderabad, and felt that rather than constructing thousands of water tanks, rainwater harvesting pits and reverse-camber the existing roads, it would be better to strengthen the existing sewerage and stormwater network by shifting them to either side of the road.

Apart from this, the experts also felt that treating sewage at the source would further reduce the problem, rather than widening nalas which would affect about 28,000 families. A senior GHMC official who was present at the session said that conventional solutions such as box culverts, widening nalas, diversion of stormwater, and road repairs would act only as a temporary panacea, if the sewage question was not addressed in its totality.

“What is the point of widening the nalas if they cannot carry more than half of the city’s untreated sewage even during dry season,” he said.

The city can treat only 750 million litres per day (MLD) of the total outflow of 2,000 MLD. More than 50 per cent of the dirty water is let into the city’s water bodies. A GHMC official said that as the sewerage network and stormwater drains were interconnected, much of the sewage entered the nalas to merge with the Musi river. During heavy rains, flood water gushes into the sewerage network, resulting in overflowing drains across the city, besides causing inundation. Separating the two networks was the answer, he said.

“Many experts admitted during the round table meeting that the nalas would suffice with the removal of a few bottlenecks if the sewerage network was strengthened,” he added. and Parimala Banjara Apartments in Udaynagar, Road No. 10, Banjara Hills, on Saturday after a gap of seven days. Mr B. Bhargav of Road No. 50, Jubilee Hills, said, “GHMC garbage collectors are charging us around `200 per household. A few of then are not expecting tips but charging us straightaway. If they are not paid, the garbage pick-up is irregular.”

He appealed to the GHMC officials to pick the garbage on time, without charging more than `50 as was being done earlier.

A senior GHMC official said that the issue had come to the corporation’s notice. He said that the GHMC could not provide immediate relief to the residents.