ABSTRACT
Due to rapid urbanization in a context of economic constraints, the majority of urban residents in Hyderabad live in slums often characterized by a lack of basic services such as water and sewerage. Consequently, the urban poor often use inexpensive pit latrines and at the same time may draw domestic water from nearby local taps. Overcrowding in slums limits the adequate distance between taps and pit latrines so that micro-organisms migrate from latrines to water sources. Sanitary practices in these overcrowded slums are also poor, leading to contamination of this tap water. The DNA sequencing results indicated the microbial diversity, revealing that the dominant bacteria present in Khairathabad slum area of Hyderabad is Acinetobacter sp. whereas the dominant bacteria in Varasiguda slum area of Hyderabad is Alpha-proteobacteria. Futhermore, cluster analysis of the DGGE profiles indicated significant diversity in the bacterial community by depicting two distinct clusters for each waste water treatment plant. These data endorse the ability of PCR-DGGE method to identify and characterize bacterial community from Usage water.