by Yathiraju, originally posted on May 16, 2016

BENGALURU: Residents of three areas coming under Padmanabhanagar ward complained about seepage of sewage water into the drinking water pipeline. The areas are Radhakrishna Layout, Gururaja Layout and Muneshwara Nagar.

However, BWSSB authorities took action after receiving complaints from the residents of 3rd Cross, 14th Main in Radhakrishna Layout and other two areas too. “We saw that the water from the taps was the colour of mud and foul-smelling. We informed the BWSSB authorities. They took water samples for testing and provided alternative drinking water through tankers,” said Latha, a housewife.

Lakshmi, a resident of the area, said they had to buy mineral water for essential needs and used borewell water till the BWSSB supplied drinking water. BWSSB authorities were quite helpful, Lakshmi said, acknowledging that action was taken immediately.

BWSSB staffers also took samples of water and tested them on the spot to tell the residents whether it is fit for drinking or not. Actress Sridevi, who lives in the area, said that instances of sewage water mixing with drinking water had occurred about four times in the last six months. “Fortunately, the BWSSB authorities took action. But we are unable to bear the foul smell emanating from an open UGD drain very close to our houses,” she said.

Padmanabhanagar Ward corporator Shobha confirmed that there were complaints of seepage of UGD water into the drinking water pipeline. “We were recently informed that residents of Muneshwara Nagar and Gururaja Layout are receiving water which was unfit for drinking. We alerted the BWSSB which addressed the problem,” she said.

Anjanappa, Shobha’s husband, said that  cases of contamination of drinking water persist after heavy rain. He said that hotels that let several items directly into UGD pipes are responsible for the UGD lines getting clogged, thereby leading to drinking water contamination.

When contacted, BWSSB authorities said that whenever they receive complaints from residents about contamination of water, they attend to them. “We receive calls from all localities of the city. We have to attend to 25 such complaints received between the first week of April and the first week of May,” the official said.

Sources in the office of the medical health officer of Padmanabha Nagar range, which covers eight wards, said they have collected 10 water samples from Bhuvaneshwari Nagar in Chikkallasandra Ward and sent them for testing.  Here, people have stopped drawing drinking water from the BWSSB water line because of contamination. The officer said that people here are procuring water from their own borewells.

Sources also said that the number of people being treated for contamination of water as outpatients was normal.

“We have written to the BWSSB to address the residents’ woes and are also creating awareness about drinking water contamination,” an official in the Primary Health Centre in BSK Stage II said.