BMC can't even give clean drinking water to Mumbai's NSG commandoes

Commandos of the National Security Guards (NSG), the country’s most elite combat force, stationed at Mumbai have been ‘injured’ fighting a different kind of enemy — mosquitoes and contaminated drinking water.

On July 13, when blasts ripped through the city, more than 25 commandos were on sickbeds and out of action. The reason: the BMC is still to provide the Mumbai unit with a potable water connection. Repeated attempts to get a connection have yielded nothing, a commando said.

After waiting for months, the NSG hub in Marol dug a borewell inside the compound. And commandos have been forced to drink unhygienic water for the past several months. “The water is contaminated and unsuitable for drinking,” he said. “But we have to drink it because the civic body has not provided us with water supply.”

An officer who did not want to be named said more than 25 of the 250 commandos stationed in the unit are suffering from various diseases, mainly because of drinking contaminated water. “Every day for the past six months, 20-25 commandos on an average are down with malaria, typhoid or viral fever,” he said. “The water connection is stuck in red tape.”

When DNA got in touch with the civic body, officials first feigned ignorance and then assured of rapid action. “I did not know that the NSG unit has no water connection,” Ranjeet Dhakne, assistant municipal commissioner (L-ward), said. “I will see to it that the matter is sorted out at the earliest.”