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Residents cry foul over dirty, smelly water in Chikhali Pradhikaran
More than one lakh residents across sectors 4 to 13 of Chikhali Pradhikaran have been affected, and many families have even reported suffering from stomach infection and fever after consuming the water
Residents of Chikhali Pradhikaran have complained about receiving dirty, foul-smelling water supply for the past one week. Afraid that this may be due to sewage contamination, many have stopped using the water for drinking or cooking purposes. More than one lakh residents across sectors 4 to 13 of Chikhali Pradhikaran have been affected, and many families have even reported suffering from stomach infection and fever after consuming the water. Repeated complaints to the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) have fallen on deaf ears, according to residents.
Sandeep Kumbhar, a resident of sector 13, said, “For the last eight days, the water has had a foul odour and dirty (yellowish) colour. We can no longer use it for drinking or cooking. People are either buying tanker water or packaged water every day.”
The affected localities—Moshi, Chikhali, Boradewadi, Dudulgaon, Jadhavwadi and Charholi—receive around 90 million litres of water every day from the Nighoj bund which in turn receives water from the Andra dam. PCMC officials have attributed the problem to changes in raw water quality and greater use of chemicals during treatment. Civic engineers said that while water quality remains stable during the monsoon, it fluctuates during other seasons owing to inflow from catchment areas such as Dehu, Talawade and Talegaon. This in turn necessitates frequent adjustment in chemical dosage at the treatment plant.
Vijay Singh Bhosale, executive engineer of the PCMC water supply department, has urged residents not to panic. “The water is safe and potable. Because the quality of raw water changes often, we have to modify the chemical dosage. At times, this causes the colour to turn yellowish after a few hours, but it is not harmful,” he said.
The civic body has started flushing pipelines and monitoring treatment processes to restore normal supply, he added. “We face this problem almost every year when water is lifted from the Nighoj bund outside of the rainy season. Corrective steps are underway,” Bhosale said.
Sanjeevan Sangale, chairman of the Chikhali-Moshi-Pimpri-Chinchwad Housing Societies Federation (CMPCHSF), said that despite several complaints, the situation hasn’t improved. “Even if officials say the water is safe, the smell is unbearable. Children and elderly people have already fallen sick. The PCMC should temporarily supply water through tankers till such time the issue is resolved,” he said.
Meanwhile, citizens have been advised to boil the water before using it and to avoid consuming it if the yellow colour and/or foul odour persists.
