SHUBHANGI SHIFA
Ranchi, March 16: Residents of flats in Morhabadi area are all set to shift to other places to save themselves from buying water throughout summer this year. Several flats have already been emptied in high rises of the area, while others are either trying to sell or rent out their flats while they shift to other regions of the city.
Water rationing has already been initiated at a few major locations, reminding the denizens to curtail the use of water as much as possible. At a few major locations other than Morhabadi like Bariatu, Harmu, Kanke, Ratu Road, undulation effects of the prevailing water scarcity in the city can be witnessed.
Notably, a severe water crisis problem in all likelihood would hit the city badly in the days to come. According to IMD experts, there are chances of early and relatively long summer this time, which would prove detrimental for the greenery around.
Businessman Mukesh Kumar had almost struck a deal for an apartment on rent at Mridula Apartment in Morhabadi, Ranchi, last Sunday when residents apprised him of the daily water challenge. Kumar was lucky to have had a narrow escape from settling in a parched neighbourhood, but for those who live there already, every day is an exhausting hunt for a new home.
Residents of at least five apartments on Tagore Hill Road have either migrated or are migrating to other parts of the city and even outside. Water crisis in Morhabadi has made their life so miserable that they are renting out their homes at throwaway prices.
Apart from misery, all these apartments have one more thing in common: lack of common sense. The apartments dug up as many deep bores as they could in their desperate quest for water over the years, but none thought of installing a rainwater harvesting structure.
“We have seven bores, one among them 950ft deep, but all in vain. We were spending Rs 900 a day for 6,000 litres of water delivered by an RMC tanker. But now, the RMC is denying supply even for good money,” said Kumari Usha, who bought a flat in the area recently.
Anuj Kumar, a security guard at Bansal Landmark, said several flats lost occupants this month. “Nobody wants to live here. Everyone will leave this place very soon,” he mused.
Another apartment behind it has 16 flats, half of them empty for a week now. “I guess by mid-May, our complex will wear a deserted look. Those staying on rent have left. Those who own flats are planning to leave,” said Manoj Kumar, a resident.
On an average, the monthly rent of a flat in this downhill hub is Rs 6,000. Owners are ready to waive the water fee of Rs 1,700 and yet there are no takers.
Aishwarya Residency has 16 flats. Four tenants left last week despite being offered free stay till the crisis got over. “All five deep bores collapsed last year. We used to purchase 6,000 litres of water from RMC on alternate days,” said Pankaj Kumar, a resident.
The crisis has deepened on Tagore Hill Road because it has no piped water supply. Homemaker Arti Singh of Aishwarya Residency spent Rs 250 every day last year to buy only drinking water. “Morabadi is no longer a good place to live. A 3BHK flat for Rs 3,000 won’t be a good deal given the money one will have to spend on buying water,” she said.
Divyanjali Apartments, next to Aishwarya Residency, has 16 flats. Seven have been vacated; two others will be soon. Entrepreneur Avnish Kumar Sinha cursed the day he decided to buy a flat at Divyanjali. “I was not aware that the situation is so critical here. An RMC tanker is our only lifeline.”
RMC city managers were unavailable to comment over the issue.
