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Vimannagar residents irked over contaminated water supply
For almost a month now, the residents of Vimannagar have been complaining of smelly, murky water flowing from their taps due to the mixing of overflowing sewage with the Pune Municipal Corporation’s water supply lines, but their complaints have fallen on deaf ears
For almost a month now, the residents of Vimannagar have been complaining of smelly, murky water flowing from their taps due to the mixing of overflowing sewage with the Pune Municipal Corporation’s water supply lines, but their complaints have fallen on deaf ears. The residents of Vimannagar societies including Hermes Drome, Gokul Gardens and Archana Heights and of societies along the stretch between Nitron Landmark and Ganga Puram have been complaining about the contaminated water posing a health hazard and being a violation of their basic rights.
Sucheta Bandopadhyay, a resident of Gokul Gardens, has been anxiously waiting for the day when the PMC takes cognisance of their complaints. “It’s been a month after the heavy rain in September that we have been getting brownish, smelly water every time the PMC releases water in the evening. We are tired of complaining as no one is paying any heed to our complaints,” Bandopadhyay said.
Sajid Attarwala, a civil engineer staying at Hermes Drome, said, “Recently, a new waterline was laid close to the sewage line near the Kailashnagar market. Ever since, this area has been facing clogging of filthy, smelly water. Our society is located downhill and all this water accumulates outside our gate. I think there is a leakage in both the lines and the sewage water is getting mixed with the water supply. Every evening when the PMC releases water, most of it stinks and runs downhill. It’s pathetic as the flowing water has also caused cracks in roads and the potholes are filled with stagnant water.”
The residents, along with Qaneez Sukhrani, convenor, Vimannagar Citizens’ Forum, have been writing to the PMC to look into the matter but the civic body seems to be looking the other way.
Sukhrani said, “It is a serious problem of overflowing sewage water mixing with the water supply pipelines and potholes due to waterlogging which hasn’t been looked into for months rendering it a serious human rights’ violation issue. If not solved, we will be filing a case with the Maharashtra Human Rights Commission (MHRC) and the Maharashtra State Legal Services Authority. We are facing a major problem with sewage water surfaces on a daily basis, and the remaining stagnant water causing potholes, with the dirty, smelly and putrid sewage water breeding larvae and subsequently, mosquitoes, in our area.”
She added that none of the senior PMC officials addressed have deputed anyone to visit the site to check the problem, understand or discuss, and explain to the taxpaying residents who continue to face hardships and trauma.
Meanwhile, Aniruddha Pawaskar, head of the water supply department, PMC, said, “We will look into this matter immediately, and have our officials visit the place to sort out the problem.”
