With the temperatures rising, Mallepally village in Sangareddy district is badly hit as a sump that used to cater to the needs of 60% of the village has gone dry. Water from Manjeera river was being supplied to the village. Also, the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWSSB) used to supply water from the river to four breweries β Carlseberg, United Breweries (UB), Crown and Leela and Sons β located in the village.
But that has stopped now, given the low level of water in Manjeera. As an immediate relief, the village panchayat dug as many as eight bore-wells in the village and each bore-well was sunk as deep as 650 feet.
A freshly-dug bore-well connected to an over-head tank yielded more water than the villagers expected. But just after two weeks, it dried up leaving the villagers high and dry, while the yield from other bore-wells reduced drastically.
At present, the villagers collect drinking water from a water plant established by the United Breweries as part of its corporate social responsibility (CSR). Fearing the worst, the village panchayat has procured about 10 water storage tanks with a capacity of 2,500 litres each to meet any emergency.
βThe village is staring at drought. The drying up of the freshly-dug bore-wells and also the old ones on the tank bed stands as testimony to this. If rains are delayed, we will be forced to purchase water,β M. Vithal, a villager, told The Hindu.
Another villager said that they have not yet paid the company that dug the bore-wells.