Nagpur: Despite Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) claiming to have fixed the water contamination problem, about 50 more cases of jaundice and other waterborne diseases were reported from Mohan Nagar, Khalasi Line and Gaddigodam on Sunday. The number of people diagnosed with jaundice in the area might have crossed the 200 mark.
“Till Monday, the NMC did not take any corrective measures to stop supply of contaminated water to the affected areas,” said Dinesh Naidu, a Mohan Nagar resident.
“The NMC supplies water twice a day, from around 7am to 9am, and 5pm to 7pm. We get contaminated water for at least the first 10 minutes to half an hour, which serves no purpose,” he said. Four members of the Naidu family have also contracted jaundice.
“Cases of waterborne diseases are rising as we are not aware about the supply of contaminated water,” said Harish Dorsatwar, another Mohan Nagar resident. He said that tap water is turbid and has a foul odour. Dorsatwar’s wife Meena is bed-ridden for the last couple of days due to jaundice.
Residents told TOI that the quality of water was so bad on Sunday that they were not able to use it. Health officials sprinkled bleaching powder in the water but it was of no use. The residents were forced to flush the water into the drain.
At several places, sewer and water lines run parallel to and cross each other. Encroachment upon Shakti nullah is also hindering NMC’s cleanliness drive, sources said.
“The NMC officials are not equipped to handle the recent contamination problem, and did not follow the procedure that is mandated in such cases,” said a retired NMC health officer on condition of anonymity.
“For instance, water supply through pipelines should have stopped immediately after the first reports of water contamination were received from these areas, and water should have been supplied through tankers. But no such precautionary measures were taken,” the retired officer said.
Meanwhile, Orange City Water (OCW) has started disconnecting double lines in Mohan Nagar. An OCW official said that the complaints about contaminated water would stop after the work is completed. The OCW is also flushing pipelines and repairing leakages, he added.
PROBLEMS GALORE
* Shakti nullah choked
* Pipelines, Shakti nullah run parallel to each other
* NMC unable to take corrective measures due to encroachments on Shakti nullah
* Stinking, contaminated water running from taps since months
* Jaundice cases continue to rise
