Dirty water complaints highest in April

There has been an alarming rise in complaints of water contamination in the city in the first six months of 2012.

There has been an alarming rise in complaints of water contamination in the city in the first six months of 2012.

HT Image

While 305 complaints were recorded in May, there were 369 in June. Officials said that with the monsoon yet to unleash itself in its full fury, there seemed to be no ostensible reason for the rise.

Out of the total 369 complaints received, a total of 286 complaints were from South Mumbai. June’s contamination complaint figures, however, mark a decline from the figures in April, when 1,062 complaints were recorded.

Civic officials say the number of complaints doesn’t reflect the real issue of water contamination. "These complaints are registered by citizens who believe they are being supplied dirty water, but they might not be the real measure of whether the problem of contamination continues to exist or not. Many times, their overhead tanks are the reason why they get contaminated water," said AS Tawadia, deputy hydraulic engineer, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

http://www.hindustantimes.com/Images/Popup/2012/7/27-07-12-pg-02-mumbai.jpg

Statistics show there is an alarming rise in contamination complaints in 2012 as compared to 2011, but Tawadia brushed aside the statistics.

Another civic official, who did not wish to be named as he is not authorised to speak to the media, said, “The number of contamination complaints appears to be high because the cases had shot up in March and April. We have been trying to control it, as a result of which the figures came down drastically from 1,062 in April to 305 in May.”