As many as 243 residents of Mehra Colony in the Tatipur area of the city were hospitalized due to consumption of contaminated water that is being supplied by the Municipal Corporation. On hearing about the incident, Minister of Urban and Rural Development and Housing Maya Singh visited the affected people who are being treated at various hospitals in the city.
later, she also visited Mehra Colony along with the officials of the Corporation and took stock of the situation. Seeing the Minister, the residents of the area came out and complained that councilors and officials of the Municipal Corporation have been making false promises to provide clean drinking water but to this date there has been no change in the fatal situation. On checking the drinking water at the Mehra Colony it was found that the water that is being supplied there is unfit for consumption due to severe contamination. On the insistence of the minister the officials accompanying her searched the source of the contamination and it was found that the water in the bore well near the Community Hall was contaminated due to the sewage water getting mixed in it. Water supply to this area is through this bore well. Most of the sewage generated in the city seeps underground polluting the groundwater reserves like bore wells. leakage in the pipes that are used to supply water is also another major reason for the contamination. The contaminated sewage water gets into the water pipes through these leaks. The minister instructed the corporation officials to immediately clean the bore wells and arrange for alternate supply of clean and safe drinking water to the colony. She also asked the officials to straightaway check all the sewer and water pipes in the city and repair the leaks.
According to doctors, waterborne diseases are caused by drinking contaminated or dirty water. Contaminated water can cause many types of diarrheal diseases, including Cholera, and other serious illnesses such as Guinea worm disease, Typhoid, and Dysentery. The doctors added that the people who have been admitted are out of danger and will be discharged in a couple of days’ time. Meanwhile Dr Mudul Saxena, the CMHO instructed the private hospitals to inform the CMHO office about the number and condition of patients who have been admitted due to water poisoning.
Speaking to the media persons, Municipal Commissioner Vinod Sharma said that the water that is being supplied from the Tigra Dam is clean as it has been chemically treated. He added that a few bore wells in the city are contaminated due to the heavy rains and leakage of sewage water. He added that immediate steps are being taken to clean the bore wells.