Water contaminated, sewage on roads: Threat of epidemic looms over Bhiwani

Tribune News Service

Deepender Deswal

Bhiwani, March 26

Residents of about eight localities in several wards of Bhiwani town have been facing problems related to potable water due to leakage of the sewerage pipelines. The supply of adulterated water has been posing a health hazard to residents. The threat of waterborne diseases looms large in these localities as streets are inundated with sewage water.

Sewage pipes leaking

Sewage pipelines have been damaged for the last five years. The sewage gets mixed with potable water due to the leakage in the pipelines at many spots. As a result, residents have been getting contaminated water which is not fit for human consumption. — Jaiveer Singh Ranga, MC member from Ward 14, Bhiwani

These are routine complaints: PHED

There is no leakage in the pipelines. These are day-to-day complaints, which are resolved instantly. — Sunil Ranga, XEN, PHED

Residents of these localities, led by Municipal Council members, met the Superintendent Engineer (SE) of the Public Health Engineering Department today.

They submitted a memorandum of their demands and also served an ultimatum to stage a demonstration at the office of the PHED if the issue of water supply is not resolved.

Ambedkar Colony, Dhana Road Colony, Amar Nagar, Tibba Basti, Pipli Wali Johari Colony, Hanuman Gate and Sewa Nagar — which are part of Wards 5, 13, 14, 15, 16 and 20 in the Bhiwani Municipal Council — are the worst affected due to the problem.

Jaiveer Singh Ranga, MC member from Ward 14, said the area, which has about 10,000 votes, has been reeling under this problem for many months. “Sewage pipelines have been damaged for the last five years. The sewage gets mixed with potable water supply due to the leakage in pipelines at many spots. As a result, residents have been getting an adulterated water supply which is not fit for human consumption,” he alleged.

Ankur Kaushik, MC member from Ward 5 in the town, said, “Though the government releases huge funds for cleaning and maintenance of sewage pipelines, no one knows where and how this fund is utilised by officials because the problem has not been resolved despite several assurances by the officials concerned.”

He said there had been an acute shortage of the water supply in the locality. “Already, residents of these localities are facing a shortage of water supply as we get just 20 per cent of the total demand of potable water supply. The limited supply we get is adulterated,” he rued.

Pradeep Kaushik, MC member from Ward 20, said being a representative of people, he had been raising the issue with the authorities concerned, but to no avail.

“Utter mismanagement prevails in the government machinery. Instead of repairing the damaged pipelines, another agency of the government constructed a road on the same portion of the damaged sewerage line,” he alleged.

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