For two months residents here get potable water mixed with sewage
The Hindu
MADURAI
Women holding bottles filled with black or muddy liquid emitting a bad odour is nothing but drinking water that flows through the pipelines in about 150 houses in Anuppanadi here.
“Though we are not new to sewage mixing with drinking water which happens occasionally and aggravates during the rains, this plight has been a constant issue for two months now,” J. Sakunthala, 40, resident of Deivakani Street in Anuppanadi for 24 years.
“We have now resorted to buying a pot of water for ₹15 which sometimes is not purified leading to some children even developing fever. On an average, we buy two to three pots a day to meet our needs,” she said.
According to J. Lenin, secretary of CPI(M) south zone, sewage mixing with drinking water issue is persistent in three streets namely Deivakani Street and Christian Street in Ward 88 and Susai Michael Street in ward 89.
Mr Lenin said, “officials, including Zone IV (South) Chairperson M. Mukesh Sharma, who had come to know that we were planning a protest requested us to cancel it and promised to do a field inspection”.
“Despite highlighting the issue to Corporation officials, even to the Mayor through a petition submitted by the All India Democratic Women's Association (AIDWA) petition on June 27, no action was taken,” he said.
He stated that the officials inspected the ward for about one hour. “Most residents of the area are daily-wage labourers or people with meagre income but are now forced to spend ₹1,000 per month to procure drinking water which is a big expense for them,” said Mr Lenin.