Dirty, stinking water adds to pandemic woes in Mangaluru

Mangaluru: While the spread of Covid-19 has left citizens worried, dirty drinking water being supplied to their homes from the plant in Thumbe has only added to their woes.
The water is so dirty that even water purifiers at home are being damaged as mud deposits block the filters, say residents. The mayor has already ordered an inquiry into the allegations that water is not being treated before being supplied to the city.
Sharing the picture of a water purifier filter covered with mud, retired superintendent of police Jayanth V Shetty said they are consuming dirty water since the past few months.
“I got a new water purifier installed in February. In these five months I had to call the technician twice. Today the filter was full of mud and the water was not flowing through it. We got it replaced with a new filter. The technician was shocked to see the amount of dirt stuck on the filter,” Shetty said.
In fact, the issue of MCC supplying untreated water to the city had triggered a debate in the first council meeting of the newly elected corporators held on August 13. Opposition leader in the MCC council Abdul Rouf had alleged that the city corporation has been supplying water without treating it properly.
Rouf said corporators from the opposition have been discussing the issue since it concerns the health of the general public. “We have already brought the issue to the notice of the council. We will pursue the matter and visit the water treatment plants at Thumbe again. We are in constant touch with the officials of the city corporation,” he said.
In fact, mayor Divakara had ordered an inquiry by MCC commissioner Dinesh Kumar on the complaints raised by the opposition. When contacted, the commissioner said that the city corporation has taken up the issue very seriously and is monitoring the water quality regularly.
“We have been checking the pH value and the turbidity of water supplied to the city. We are also collecting water samples for analysis. We also have ensured sufficient stock of chemicals required for the treatment of water,” Dinesh Kumar said.