Nearly 80 families residing at South End Road, Malleswaram, have been facing health hazards on account of sewage water getting mixed with the ground water in the area.
Nearly 80 families residing at South End Road, Malleswaram, have been facing health hazards on account of sewage water getting mixed with the ground water in the area. Over the past fortnight, several residents have fallen sick. The sewage line from Sampige Theatre to Link Road is choking, and the overflow has been seeping into the ground, contaminating the water drawn from borewells.
The residents have been forced to stop using borewell water. The only other water source is the supply provided by the corporation, which is available only once in three days.
On Sunday, JD Bafna, a senior citizen with a home in the area, ‘Bafna Sadan’, which he shares with children and grandchildren, started shivering. His stomach was upset too. He was rushed to the Mahaveer Jain Hospital. All the trouble started after Bafna drank borewell water.
Bafna’s son, Prakash, said, “We noticed that over the past few days, borewell water had turned greenish in colour; it also emanated a foul smell. The children too have fallen sick, with fever and upset stomach.”
Balasubramanium, a senior citizen, says, “My son Santhosh has been very sick. The stomach upset problem is becoming quite common in the neighbourhood.”
Satish K, another resident, said that he had been unwell for a good part of the week. “We have complained to the authorities. But no one has done anything about the situation. There is no acknowledgement of the gravity of the situation.”
Advocate Ram Chandra Reddy, whose home is in one of the apartment blocks in the area, Fortune Paradise, said, “We noticed that the water had been contaminated for the first time on January 18. We sent the borewell water for testing in a laboratory, and those tests confirmed the presence of ammonia, which is miscible in water.”
Reddy said that the residents had acted promptly in alerting authorities. “I myself have complained several times to the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) officials. On January 28, the BWSSB officials had visited the place and said, “The entire sewage pipe is blocked. The matter will be reported to higher authorities, as there is stagnant sewer water.” Reddy added that the residents have been waiting for the BWSSB to act.
Veena R, a homemaker, said, “We are left with no option but to use the corporation water. It comes once in three days, that too only at night. We try to store the water and make it last, but we need it even for bathing. For drinking too, we are forced to use the corporation water or buy bottles. “And we have to keep a watch on the children, so they don’t drink borewell water,” added Kamala Devi, Veena’s neighbour.
Residents have also begun a signature campaign, so that representations could be sent to the BWSSB chairman. Residents are also planning to meet the BWSSB chairman. Advocate Reddy says, “If there is no initiative from the authorities, we will move the court. Clean drinking water is our right.”
Attempts to contact BWSSB authorities proved futile, with Sunday being a holiday.
Rationing water, rationally Narasimha Babu, an engineer residing at Veena Vihar apartments, says, “We have had to manage the scarcity. We have made a time-table, which is displayed on the notice board. Everyday, only one family is allowed to use corporation water to wash clothes. There are 10 families here, and we take turns.” Babu added, however, that if the situation continued, residents would be forced to move out.
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