Unsafe water worries Kurla residents

Residents of Police Colony, Nehru Nagar, Kurla, are a worried lot. The reason is that their drinking water supply continues to be seriously contaminated, despite complaints being lodged with the civic body and police administration. According to residents, the water is muddy, smells foul and is infested with e-coli, so much so that four persons till date have been hospitalised with e-coli infection.

One of the residents, T. Jyothy, said, “There is water contamination throughout our building and no proper management. We have two small children and they are suspected of having contracted dengue. We have written letters several times but no one is taking us seriously; this is an extremely dangerous situation.”

“The water is yellow-coloured, foul-smelling and, at times, mixed with muck and live worms. There have been several complaints from in and around the vicinity about worms in tap water,” Jyothy said.

Residents have complained of multiple incidents of dysentery, with some aged people having been hospitalised. The problem is affecting over 100 families, with children vomiting, as the foul smell lingers in their homes. Officials have been unable to solve the problem and dirty water keeps dripping into overhead tanks.

Ramesh Bhambale, chief hydraulic engineer, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), told The Asian Age, “I am not aware about the situation. We are probing it and appropriate action will be taken. Our department is working to keep a check all over Mumbai regarding drinking water getting mixed with any other stuff.”

DCP (zone six) Shahaji Umap said, “I have personally visited the site and have made a detailed account of the problem. I will forward a written complaint to my senior authorities and, soon, there won’t be any kind of trouble. I am trying to solve the problem as soon as possible.”

Meanwhile, the civic body has admitted to having found e-coli bacteria in water samples from these areas.