Preet Nagar residents fear another epidemic

Harshraj Singh

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, June 23

Learning no lesson from the past, the Municipal Corporation (MC), it seems, has failed to ensure safe drinking water supply to the residents of Preet Nagar, Tajpur Road, giving an invitation to another disease outbreak.

Harried, residents said they were getting sand-mixed and stinking water at their homes.

As a result, hundreds of them are forced to fetch water from taps installed outside the Nirankari Satsang Bhawan at Preet Nagar every day, a group of residents said. They blamed the civic body authorities as well as their public representatives for ignoring their problem.

Notably, during a diarrhoea outbreak, four persons had died and around 100 fallen ill at Preet Nagar and nearby areas, including Baba Jiwan Singh Nagar on Tajpur Road in 2015. Residents had then blamed the MC for supplying contaminated water to their area. After the passage of three years, residents once again complained of contaminated water being supplied by the MC.

Gurmit Singh, a resident, said: “Sand-mixed water is being supplied to their houses for the past several months. MC’s water stinks too. We have complained multiple times, but in vain. The MC had earlier laid new water pipes in the area, but these have not been made functional even after charging fee for water supply from residents. The water is supplied through old pipes due to which around 300 families suffer every day. We get water from the Satsang Bhawan daily.”

Sometimes, long queues are seen outside the bhawan in the morning and evening. All area residents fetch water from there, he said.

According to information, many people belong to the economically weaker section and they can’t even afford to buy water purifiers. Anaar Kaur, a resident, said: “I bring drinking water from the Satsang Bhawan every day because the MC supplies contaminated water to my house. Many people have fallen ill at Preet Nagar in the past. Now, we don’t use MC’s contaminated water for drinking to avoid health problems. The government should listen to our voice and ensure safe drinking water supply.”

Another resident Parkash Kaur said: “People, especially children, complain about stomach-related problems. I am worried as no measures are being taken to provide us safe drinking water. The sand-mixed water can’t be used even for bathing or for washing clothes. We are suffering a lot and are helpless. The government should pay attention towards our problem.”

Councillor from Ward No. 16 Umesh Sharma said: “I have not received any complaint about contaminated water supply. A new tube-well was installed in the area recently. Thus, there is no problem of contaminated water supply. The civic body is supplying clean water to residents.”

MC Superintending Engineer Rajinder Singh said: “We will take immediate steps to check the water supply. However, we have not received any complaint in this regard.”