South Mumbai residents complain of contaminated water

Jehangir Mansion residents Vaishali Buha, Farhad Karkaria, Fuaz Mithani and Jehanbux Bhandara said they have complained to BMC several times. Pics/ Ashish Raje

While the BMC claims citizens can drink water straight from the tap, water that residents around Metro junction at Marine Lines get, can't even be used to rinse utensils. Jehangir Mansion, located just a short distance from BMC's headquarters, has been receiving water that has sent them running to the doctor for over 10 days.

Residents have complained of getting yellow-coloured water with an awful smell since February 28, with many having contracted diarrhoea. Residents claim that they get contaminated water every few months - the result of a leakage caused during the construction of the Metro subway.

During its latest Assembly session, the state government had assured that complaints regarding contaminated water will be resolved within 24 hours. "We have complained and followed up with the BMC several times, but there has been no resolution," said Vaishali Buha, a resident of Jehangir Mansion.

Buha and Bhandara display the contaminated water they get

Apart from Jehangir Mansion, Chaman Chambers and Ram Nam Mansion have also been hit by the problem.

"We have been getting contaminated water for a week. The water is so smelly, that we can't even wash clothes or utensils with it. We are living on bottled water and almost one member in every family is down with gastric disease," said a resident of Chaman Chambers.

"There is a leakage and the sewer water gets inside the clean water pipeline. Simultaneously, we are flushing out sewer water but it enters the line as water pumps of some residents were working during non-supply hours. The issue will be resolved within two days," said an officer from the A Ward.

The water is clearly filthy and despite taking precautions, many residents have fallen ill

An engineer from the A Ward office said that they have not received complaints from other buildings. "There have been no complaints from nearby buildings. It means that the issue must be in the last-mile system. We will check the underground and overhead water storage tanks. Our team has collected the samples. The problem will be resolved shortly," he said after visiting the site last week.

"The issue has been identified and it will be resolved soon," the assistant commissioner of A Ward, Chanda Jadhav said. "But the water that comes from the municipal tap is yellow, with an awful smell. No one dares to drink that," resident Jehanbux Bhandara said. He claimed that the civic body failed to detect and repair a leakage in the sewer line, as a result of which the sewage water entered the clean water supply.

Another resident, Farhad Karkaria, told mid-day, "During the construction of the Metro subway, the BMC cut short supply lines in front of our building. Due to the leakage and the slope, the sewage water from the main sewer lines near Gol Masjid is accumulating below the road in front of our building and getting pushed back into the clean water system."

This issue persists every year and the BMC drains out the sewage. But residents say this is a temporary measure and have demanded a permanent solution.

Feb 28
When residents started getting contaminated water in taps

03
No. of buildings in the area that are affected

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