Mumbai mired in murky waters

The civic body’s lackadaisical attitude towards leaks in pipes at Goregaon’s Aarey Colony has led to a loss of millions of litres of water, and also poses a health risk for its 60,000-odd local residents. 

According to Iyengar Swamy, 40, a resident, the 24-inch main pipeline, got perforated in July and has been ignored since. Consequently, the area is receiving contaminated water. Said Aarey Ekta Nagar resident Chellama Sonar, 75, “We get reddish-brown water. The stench emanating from it is unbearable.”

She added, “My grandchildren and daughter-in-law have taken ill, and are vomiting. Even I have swelling on my joints. I suspect this is due to gandha water.”

Most other residents share the Sonar family’s plight. Vedu Aiyaswamy, a temporary worker has been at home for the last fortnight. He too complains of swollen joints.  A 6-year-old girl, Gayatri K, has rashes all over her body. 

Even more startling is the BMC’s complete lack of concern. A report submitted to BMC’s executive health officer shows that an alarming number — 1871 — of water borne disease cases. About 669 cases are related to joint pains, 544 are related to fever and 276 cases are related to fever with joint pains. Even the Aarey Police Station receives filthy tap water. 

The BMC’s executive health Officer, Dr Jayraj Thanekar, admitted that spurt in cases might be due to viral and bacterial mutation in the polluted water.

Sugandha Shette, an agitated Shiv Sena councillor said, “Why should residents pay water taxes when BMC provides unsafe water? I have sent several reminders to the authorities to fix the problem but they have fallen on deaf ears.”

Shette brought samples of contaminated water to the BMC’s meeting on September 18. “The main pipeline supplying water to Aarey (Colony) is five decades old. It must be replaced,” she demanded. Mayor Datta Dalvi has asked the hydraulic engineer to submit a report today.

BMC blames corrosion, decay: Water supplied to the city has never been dirtier. Though several cases of water contamination have been reported in the city this month, the BMC is yet to make its water supply system safe. The civic body is quick to say that pipe corrosion and decay is the source of the problem.

Praja, an NGO made up of former municipal commissioners, highlighted the department’s inability to detect leaks in pipes in a recent report on the city’s water supply system. “Concretisation of the city roads is making it  difficult to detect and clear leakages,” it said.

However, engineers of the civic hydraulic department say old or leaking pipes are being replaced in phases.