Dirty Water Puts People’s Health At Risk In Nagole

According to residents, there has been a change in water colour for nearly a month, and the issue has worsened over the last four days. “We have given complaints, but there is no proper response from officials. The contaminated water is visible very clearly,” said K. Vamshi Krishna, a resident.

One of the residents, Kanakamedala Nageswar Rao, said that unknowingly his family consumed contaminated water, leaving his wife and him with diarrhoea and fever. “Although I recovered, my wife is still suffering,” he complained.

The issue, as per the residents, is not new, as they faced a similar problem last year that was resolved after a prolonged delay.

J. Sunitha Reddy, another resident, said the water contamination was first observed around 20 days ago by residents of Road No. 2 in Sri Lakshmi Nagar. “Several people used the dirty water unknowingly. Now, we have cleared the water from the sump and cleaned it with bleaching powder. We bought water cans from outside for our drinking needs,” she added.

The situation is worse for those residents who do not have bore wells for drawing water for purposes other than drinking and cooking.

According to another resident, Ammaji, the ongoing sewerage works have resulted in the overflow of contaminated water onto the road, making it stench and turning it into a breeding ground for mosquitoes and flies.

“How long can residents depend on water cans from outside? We want the water board to address the issue before an untoward incident happens immediately,” she said.

A HMWS&SB official, however, said that initially the board suspected leakage from a water connection but later identified the issue at the main pipeline.

“The pipeline is being replaced, and the work is expected to be completed by Tuesday. Water supply will resume tomorrow, and quality will be checked,” the official added.