Toxic water extracted from lake periphery supplied to hostels and hotels in Madhapur: HYDRAA

Dangerous level of toxicity was found in the water extracted through borewells near Sunnam Cheruvu and supplied to hostels in Madhapur area, raising serious questions about private tanker businesses flourishing in the city.

A water sample analysis commissioned by the Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA) revealed concentration of heavy metals such as lead, cadmium and nickel at much higher levels than normal.

Business of tankers has flourished from here owing to chronic water shortage experienced in the Serilingampally area. Several hostels, educational institutions and hotels in and around Madhapur are supplied the water extracted by way of unauthorised borewells near the polluted lake, according to a HYDRAA report.

The water samples being supplied to hostels were collected and an analysis was commissioned from labs of the Telangana State Pollution Control Board, as part of the lake restoration efforts.

The samples revealed the levels of lead ranging between 0.073 to 0.122 milligrams per litre of water, which is 7-12 times more than the safe international limit of 0.01 mg/litre for potable water. Such levels can impact brain development in children, reduce memory, cause anaemia and damage kidneys at a young age, a press note from HYDRAA said, citing medical experts. It is also linked to issues related to blood pressure and heart.

Traces of cadmium ranged between 0.007-0.010 mg/litre, which is two to three times higher than the acceptable level of 0.003 mg/litre. Higher levels of cadmium are known to impair kidney function and lead to protein loss through urine which results in weak bones and cancer risk, as per the International Agency for Research on Cancer.

For nickel, the acceptable limit is 0.02 mg/litre, but the rest results showed concentrations between 0.038-0.046 mg/litre, which is twice the permissible level. Excess nickel in drinking water can cause skin conditions, damage the liver and kidneys, and contribute to early-onset of hypertension.

The contaminated water provides no safety, as boiling it will not remove the heavy metals, HYDRAA warned. Instead, they may even become more concentrated making the water even more hazardous.

PCB also noted that the issue is not confined to Sunnam Cheruvu alone. Similar conditions exist across the city near waterbodies and stormwater drains in the city, adjacent to which one can find several settlements.

While the hostels to which the water is supplied are equipped with Reverse Osmosis plants, it does not provide total immunity, because the untreated water is used for other purposes than drinking too, which may result in ingestion of toxic substances.

HYDRAA has filed police cases against those illegally extracting the borewell water in the vicinity, the note said.

32.6 Acre Lake Its Priority, Along With Thammidikunta In Madhapur, Nalla Cheruvu in Kukatpally, Nalla Cheruvu Shivarampally in Rukn -ud-Daula, it affirmed.