Are you paying for dirty water?

If you are one of those people who buys drinking water cans from private suppliers and are lulled into a sense of security with the untarnished seal on it and the OK mark proclaiming its good quality, you’re in for a rude shock. Most of these private providers are supplying contaminated water and are even operating their water plants illegally and without proper equipment to purify water. The appaling facts came to light when Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) decided to raid some of these bottled water plants and test the quality of water supplied by them. The findings were far from pleasant. “A few teams comprising food inspectors and senior officials of the Health and Sanitation wing of GHMC inspected various water plants. We found that more than 200 packed drinking water packaging units are supplying contaminated drinking water on payment basis to customers while utilising the ISI standard mark illegally,” S Aleem Basha, additional commissioner, Health and Sanitation, GHMC told City Express. GHMC found a private water plant located near the RTC crossroads and supplying water cans and packets to offices and for domestic purposes being run illegally. In another incident, based on public complaint, GHMC officials seized ‘Salvo Safe drinking’ unit located in Secunderabad as they supplied contaminated bottled water to its customers at a high price. The officials seized at least 12 drinking water plants in the twin cities. Aleem Basha said that they would crack the whip on these illegal water plants.With the dry summer setting in with its impending shortage of regular water supply by the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWS&SB), illegal water packaging centres and plants are mushrooming in the twin cities.  It is reported that residents in twin cities and its suburbs pay for at least 6 lakh litres of bottled water every day. Out of this as many as 3 lakh litres of bottled water supplied do not conform to the required standards and are reportedly contaminated. Meanwhile, Dr K Devaraj, Chief Medical Officer of Health (CMOH), GHMC said that illegal companies were cashing in on the demand for bottled water, which has gone up due to frequent outbreaks of gastroenteritis, cholera and other diseases in summer. “Residents are not thinking about the health hazards of drinking contaminated water and are proffering to purchase bottled drinking water at high prices due to water shortage.   However the Bureau of Indian Standards said that there are also bona-fide packed drinking water units which have obtained licenses from the BIS and GHMC.

By Mouli Mareedu

moulimareedu@gmail.com

Dude, are you 18 yet?

The Cyberabad and Hyderabad Commissionerates have decided to act against hookah bars in the city where even minors can walk in without restrictions.  Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) officials have been urged not to sanction trade licences for such bars. Following this, the GHMC is considering to initially issue trade ‘conditional’ licence to those interested in setting up Hookah bars. It is also reported that gradually, the GHMC would stop issuing licenses. Meanwhile, police are all set to crack down on illegal hookah bars that have mushroomed in the twin cities. The fact that some of these bars are turning out to be favourite hangout places college and school going kids, is raising much concern.Recently, nine students of a well known public school in Begumpet were apprehended by the police in a hookah bar. They were released after taking a surety from their parents. Police also raided restaurants in Banjara Hills, Jubilee Hills and Punjagutta areas. Hookahs were seized from a couple of places as they were serving hookah to minors. R Ravinder Reddy, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), Banjara Hills division told City Express that policemen were shocked to see school students at hookah parties during a raid conducted recently on an illegal bar. Ten people, including the staff and a few minor girls, who were present at the bar, were arrested.  “We counselled the children in the presence of their parents.,’’ he added. According to police estimate, there are as many as 500 illegal hookah bars in the city.  

By Mouli Mareedu

moulimareedu@gmail.com

Lift not working properly, say residents

“Where is Mamata’s body? Can we have a look? asked 20-odd students of Andhravani Upper Primary School to anyone they spotted as they entered Gayatri Nilayam, the residential complex at Gandhinagar where the nine-year-old died yesterday after she got crushed between the lift and the wall.A day after her death, Mamata’s friends and fellow students from the school, shocked at the turn of events,  thronged the place to have a look at her body. “We all had lunch together yesterday afternoon and we saw her off at her house at around 12.30 p.m. She always called me Anna and we used to have lunch and play together. I was shocked after I read about Mamata’s death in the newspapers,’’ Ajay, a sixth standard student,  and a close friend of Mamata said.Meanwhile, Musheerabad police recorded the statements of the residents of the complex. ‘’There were marks on her neck which indicates that she got crushed between the lift and the wall,’’ said Musheerabad sub-inspector of police P Shanker Yadav. The police believe that poor maintenance of the lift could have led to the incident.Prakash Reddy, a resident of Gayatri Nilayam, alleged that the lift in the apartment was not functioning properly.  ‘’The lift has been  under repair many times earlier,’’ he said in his statement to the police.

By Mouli Mareedu
moulimareedu@gmail.com

Bouncing cheques anger civic body

Officials of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation have decided to initiate legal action against property tax payers whose cheques bounced. Since bouncing of cheques is becoming all too common, the GHMC is also planning to engage an independent agency to collect money from tax payers who issue invalid cheques.GHMC officials said the corporation suffered a loss of more than Rs 10 crore because of cheque bounce cases during 2010-11. “For instance one V Sobha Rani, resident of Moosarambagh, issued a a cheque of Rs 13,000 but bank officials returned the cheque due to insufficient balance in her account,’’ a GHMC official said. Officials were in for a bigger shock, when cheques worth Rs 3.1 crore given by residents of the twin cities bounced, out of the total Rs 40 crore collected on March 31. In another case, A Krishna, resident of New Malakpet, gave a cheque to bill collectors with incomplete signature on it’ leading to the bank returning the cheque. Subash Agarwal, a resident of Santoshnagar issued a cheque after he had closed his bank account.“We will initiate legal action against tax payers, who issue invalid cheques to the GHMC for payment of property taxes. Our staff are still working in segregating bounced cheques,’’ said S Hari Krishna, additional commissioner, finance and revenue, GHMC. The civic body has also released a notification to hire a new agency for collecting cheques.GHMC financial adviser T Vijay Kumar said besides the issue of lack of sufficient funds, several cheques bounced due to incomplete signatures, overwriting on cheques, and corrections to signatures without counter-signatures. The bankers rejected to encash the cheques due to such mistakes. “Legal notices will be sent to errant tax payers asking them to give an explanation about why action should not be initiated against them,” Vijay Kumar said. A similar situation was witnessed last year when 800 cheques worth Rs 6 crore bounced.

By Mouli Mareedu

moulimareedu@gmail.com

Cooking gas shortage dampens festive mood

D Nagalakshmi, a housewife was seen having heated words with a domestic gas dealer in Ameerpet, for inordinate delay in supplying a cylinder. The sudden shortage of domestic gas cylinders has put many city families in great difficulty. Backlog in delivery of cylinders has been rising since dealers have failed to deliver refilled cylinders on time.In several places, customers were seen picking up arguments with dealers. “I have booked a cylinder nearly 10 days ago but till now it has not been delivered. This month being a festival season, use of cooking gas has increased,” K Nagender, a businessman said.Though Civil Supply officials have instructed gas dealers not to put consumers in hardship, shortage of cooking gas has made them helpless. “In view of the Sreerama Navami festival, demand for cylinders has gone up and we have given instructions to take appropriate action,’’ officials said.Gas cylinders, however, are allegedly available a higher price in the black market. “We have been waiting for a cylinder since 10 days. However, we found gas cylinders were available in the black market at a high price,’’ K Nagender said. Some consumers have been forced to purchase a cylinder for `750-`800, whereas the actual price is `350.It is believed that the crisis began due to illegal diversion of domestic cylinders to commercial customers. There are nearly 13 lakh domestic gas users in the twin cities with 54 dealers of various oil companies catering to their needs. Seshagiri, assistant supply officer (ASO), Civil Supply department told Express that there are no reports of cooking gas shortage in the twin cities but it is certain there could be a rise in demand. “There might be sudden rise in demand for domestic gas cylinders because of the festival season,’’ he informed. He said all bookings are made as per guidance of the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) for domestic gas. “If we find any diversion to the black market, we will initiate stern action against dealers,’’ he said.

By Mouli Mareedu

moulimareedu@gmail.com

Fish variety to fight mosquito menace

With mosquitoes giving sleepless nights to denizens in summer, GHMC officials have now decided to tackle the problem head-on by using Gambusia and Guppy fishes to control the mosquito menace.Apart from fogging and other sanitation measures, GHMC officials are also planning to release Gambusia and Guppy fishes into city water bodies to check breeding of mosquitoes. These fishes are known to eat up mosquito larvae.“It is not the first time we are making efforts to feed and nourish Gambusia and Guppy fishes to arrest the growth of mosquito population. Around 4 lakh Gambusia and Guppy fish are being maintained in 20 different nurseries in the twin cities,” informed T Ratna Joseph, chief entomologist, GHMC. According to him, summers are the time when mosquitoes breed in stagnant water. “We have taken up measures like fogging and sanitation but we are also planning to release thousands of Gambusia and Guppy fishes into ponds, lakes and other water bodies to kill mosquito larvae,” Ratna Joseph said.Both these fishes are normally found in most aquarium collections, whether in houses or in other locations. The Guppy is a small fish, whose females are six cm in size and males, 3.5 cm. The fish attacks mosquito larvae eradicating its breed. Gambusia, also called mosquito fish, is a natural predator of mosquito larvae. A large fish can eat more than 200 larvae in an hour. During the warm summer months, the female Gambusia is said to reach maturity in only 30 days and give birth to about 50 young ones every 20 days.However, officials are hesitant to release the fish into water bodies and lakes, most of which are polluted. “For example, if these fishes are released into the Hussain Sagar, they would not survive as the lake waters are polluted with chemical waste released by various industries,” he said. “We have selected at least 17 water bodies in the twin cities and will release the fishes in a phased manner while renovating various tanks and lakes to protect from pollution. We hope the new initiative will bring positive results in eradicating mosquitoes,’’ he added.

By Mouli Mareedu

moulimareedu@gmail.com

Braving the sun to clear traffic snarls

Wearing a blue-coloured face mask, a 27-year-old traffic constable was busy monitoring traffic movement in the sizzling sun.The time was 12.30 pm and B Nataraj, standing in front of gate no 3 of the Hyderabad Public School, Begumpet says he has got accustomed to working under the glare of the summer sun.With day temperatures going up to more than 36 degrees Celsius in the twin cities, most Home Guards and traffic constables are having a tough time doing their job. “Working under such extreme heat conditions is quite difficult. But I have got used to the work ever since I started my profession as a police in the traffic wing,” said Nataraj.Standing at the small junction while controlling traffic, Nataraj says his usual day starts at 7.30 am and on most days there are frequent traffic in front of the school. “I come at least half-anhour before and leave at least an hour late, battling with the heat and clearing heavy traffic snarls. Sometimes, I carry bottled water to beat the heat," he said.His is not the singular story. Most traffic cops are facing the summer blues. Even after the higher-ups provided traffic umbrellas with comfortable seating facility at important junctions, the constables have to be on the streets to tackle roadblocks.“These umbrellas have been a great use to protect us to some extent from the sun and rain. We can sit and relax when we are tired. But ultimately our job is on the streets clearing regular traffic snarls with most VIPs, MLAs and ministers moving toward the junction as the chief minister’s camp office is located here," said J Seetaram, who is posted at the Greenlands junction.Meanwhile, to beat the summer heat, senior traffic officials have decided to distribute bottled water and UV-resistant sunglasses to the traffic constables, Home Guards and police personnel."We have decided to distribute bottled water and UV-resistant sunglasses to protect traffic cops from heat and dust. At least 2,500 cops will get their summer kits in a week," said GVG Ashok Kumar, deputy commissioner of police, traffic.Every summer, the police department spends money to provide basic protective material to traffic cops.Apart from organising regular medical camps, they will also get hunter shoes, reflective jackets and traffic batons.

By Mouli Mareedu

moulimareedu@gmail.com

‘Rama & Ravana battle for Sita’

With the World Cup final match between India and Sri Lanka set to be played on Saturday, both teams have been christened as Rama and Ravana fighting it out for Sita (the coveted cup). The mobiles in the twin cities are buzzing with messages like “Is baar bhi Ram hi Raavan ko harakar Sita ko ley ayenge’’ (“This time too, Ram will defeat Ravana in the battle and bring Sita back”). The quirky messages have taken over the web world as well. Social networking sites refuse to remain out of the cricket battle that has caught onto the city.“The final match between India and Sri Lanka is like the battle between Rama and Ravana. Men in blue will prepare the battleground to defeat Sri Lanka. Our players would fight bravely and us fans wish and encourage the Indian team to bring back Sita (the World Cup) once again,’’ said Chaitanya, an IT employee.Meanwhile, the cricket frenzy is has led to interesting announcements on various social network websites. Ram vs Ravan taglines on user IDs and heated discussions in fan communities are raging over the sites. “After the World Cup (Sita) spent more time in Australia and other countries, the Indian team will now defeat Sri Lanka and bring Sita back to India,’’ a fans posted on her Facebook account.Switching off the regular activity of playing foot-tapping music on dance floors, a number of lounges and pubs are welcoming customers with the Ram vs Ravan digital banners depicting Indian captain Dhoni as Rama and Sri Lankan captain Kumar Sangakkara as Ravana holding cricket bats in their hands. “All fans can enjoy the day by sipping chilled beer while enjoying the final match of the World Cup on giant screens. We will arrange additional DJ shows if India wins the cup, with various special offers for stags and couples,’’ said a manager of a city lounge.Meanwhile city police are maintaining strict vigil on circulation of bulk SMSes during the India-Sri Lanka match. “There is no bar or prohibition on circulating bulk SMSes. However, we will initiate necessary steps if any one is found sending malicious content,’’ said R Ravinder Reddy, Banajara Hills assistant commissioner of police.

By Mouli Mareedu
moulimareedu@gmail.com