Aurangabad: Civic chief under fire over water contamination

AURANGABAD: Corporators and residents are coming down heavy on the civic administration to fix the water contamination immediately. Incidentally, much work is not being carried out as there has been no response to the tenders issued by the civic administration.
Apart from the errant water supply, residents are having a tough time because of the contaminated supply across the city. Former standing committee chairman Renukadas Vaidya said 25% of the city is grapling with the water contamination.
“For the last one year, no developmental work has been carried out by the AMC but we did not raise uproar over it. However, water contamination is a serious problem and is directly associated to the health and well-being of the residents. Works like road construction or garden development can be delayed but we cannot afford to have a lackadaisical attitude about water contamination complaints,” Vaidya said.
Incidentally, on Friday, drama unfolded at Hanuman Nagar due to water contamination. The residents held the civic officials hostage until the work of drainage pipeline repair was started. Complaints of contamination have come from various localities like Cidco N-4, N-7, N-9, Nandanvan Colony, Buddi Lane and Katkat Gate on various occasions.
Many times, the drainage pipeline or chamber develops leaks and leads to contamination. Water supply engineers express helplessness to resolve the contamination complaints stating that the water supply from the main line is potable but it is due to the old pipelines in the lanes that contamination takes place.
According to residents of Amit Nagar near Nandanvan Colony, the contamination of drinking water from plot 1 to 44 is going on for the last several years due to old and rusted lines. Incidentally, MP Imtiyaz Jaleel in his capacity as an MLA had written to the civic engineer in August 2018 for laying a new pipeline in the area but his representation also failed to bear any results.
Activist Syed Masud said the tender to lay new water pipeline in the area failed to get any response four consecutive times. “AMC commissioner should appoint a government agency to repair or replace the pipelines, which are older than 30 years and have developed leakages,” Masud said.
When asked, city engineer Sakharam Panzade said that the issue must be dealt on top priority.
“Due to outstanding payments, the contractors are not ready to take up new works and that is why the tenders have to be recalled 10 to 12 times. I have suggested to the municipal commissioner that we can put the monthly water supply tax payments in a separate account so that these essential works can be done on priority using that money,” Panzade said.