The indifference of the authorities claimed two lives, including that of a minor, and left 50 others ill, in NCERT colony in south Delhi.
The tragedy took place as the residents of the colony were being forced to drink contaminated water for over three months, despite repeated pleas to callous Government officials who failed to take steps to rectify the situation.
Water to the area is supplied by the Delhi Jal Board but maintenance of the pipelines is done by the Central Public Works Department (CPWD). For over three months, residents of the NCERT colony at Aurobindo Marg had been complaining that they were getting foul smelling drinking water that contained insects, but all their pleas fell on deaf ears.
The deceased have been identified as Sanjana (4) and Hari Kishan (45). They were residents of Type-I block in the colony. Sanjana passed away on Sunday evening after she was rushed to the hospital with chronic diarrhoea. She was declared dead at the hospital. Usha Mehta, an ailing aunt of Sanjana said, “Seven members from my family including Sanjana were admitted to the hospital. Though three have returned home, the rest are still at the hospital.
We have been drinking this water and surviving. We have to buy potable water but we can’t afford that for every household thing.”
Hari Kishan, a fourth grade employee died on Monday after being discharged from the hospital. He returned home but vomited continuously which resulted to his death. “I have been suffering from diarrhoea for two days now. The water we receive is black. luckily for drinking purpose we have a RO installed. The water tankers were supplied to us today. It is very difficult for each resident to go down from the fourth floor, fill buckets and climb up again. I had also complained to the engineer at the CPWD” said Hari Bahadur, a resident of the colony.
Meanwhile, the Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit claimed that the water supplied in the area was pure and adhered to all safety measures. “The drinking water supplied by the DJB is safe and totally fit for drinking as it meets standards set by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and Bureau of Indian Standard (BIS). The drinking water supplied by the DJB in NCERT colony is safe and fit for drinking and the issue of so called contamination of water should not be politicised as the DJB has been ensuring the quality and purity of drinking water at different levels apart from monitoring the results in the laboratories,” she said.
Dikshit, however, said DJB has been providing bulk supply of drinking water to the colony but the internal supply in this colony was not the responsibility of DJB. “The DJB on request sent four water tankers in the colony. The DJB has always taken steps to prevent contamination and to get samples of drinking water collected regularly and tested scientifically in its advanced laboratories,” added Dikshit, who is also the chairperson of Delhi Jal Board.
On Tuesday the local resident also staged a protest outside the Director’s office alleging negligence on behalf of the authorities. Political parties too joined in and visited homes of the ill one’s. Delhi BJP president Vijay Goel met the people living at the colony.
“At least four persons in each house have fallen ill. Only after causalities were reported and many other hospitalised, the Delhi Jal Board started changing water stored in the water tanks. The Director admitted that a complaint was received about polluted water supplied in the colony about one and a half month ago and after that the water tanks were cleaned,” Goel said.
Residents of the colony claimed that several complaints were made to the Director of NCERT as also to engineers of the CPWD in this regard. The Campus and Welfare section of the NCERT on June 25, 2013 had also written a letter to the Chief Medical Officer at the CGHS dispensary requesting them to deploy additional medical officers at the NCERT campus for check-ups, preventive measures and treatment.
Meanwhile Social and Welfare Minister Kiran Walia also visited the colony and met the officials concerned. “20 litres of Bisleri mineral water would be supplied to each house. The medical expenses of the people who are sick would be bared by the NCERT. Also three CAT ambulances will be deployed at the colony for immediate help of the people,” she said.
Around 20 people were admitted at Modi hospital on Tuesday evening.