Nagpur: Despite spending Rs1,100 crore and five years after the deadline for 24X7 water project, many areas of the city continue to get contaminated drinking water due to mixing of sewage. The Nagpur Municipal Corporation’s (NMC) private operator Orange City Water Private Limited (OCW) is allegedly closing complaints from citizens without addressing the grievances.
A resident of Jaffar Nagar, West Nagpur, Musharraf Hussain Khateeb told TOI that around 100 houses in the residential area are getting contaminated water for more than a year now and the problem has increased in the last three months. “We have been paying the bills regularly, yet there is constant supply of contaminated water,” he said.
Khateeb claimed that since December 14, he has lodged four online complaints with OCW which declared them closed stating that the problem has been resolved.
According to former NCP corporator Abha Pande, many areas in east Nagpur continue to get contaminated water. “Telipura, Shanti Nagar, Bastarwari, houses at Zade Chowk, Prem Nagar, Nayapura, residences near Pratibha High School in my ward are badly affected. Problems increased after NMC engaged OCW in 2012. OCW does not have experienced staff and complaints are not addressed. NMC officials pass the buck on OCW,” she said.
General secretary of state youth Congress, Ketan Thakre said, “Contaminated water supply is a regular problem in a few parts of South-West Nagpur. Tukdoji Nagar and Kamgar Colony are the worst-affected. NMC is making tall claims about supplying 24×7 water. There cannot be water contamination if there is round-the- clock supply. It is inhuman to supply sewage-mixed drinking water,” he said.
Former BSP corporator Jitendra Godeshwar pointed out that in the last five years NMC never took cognizance though corporators from all political parties raised the issue in the general body. “NMC and OCW have been neglecting North Nagpur. Taj Nagar, Kuchh Kuva area, Yadav Nagar, Housing Board Colony, Khante Nagar etc in my ward are getting contaminated water,” he said.
Few areas of Siraspeth in South Nagpur are facing the same problem for the last few days.
Former Congress corporator Manoj Sable said that people are fed up of contaminated water supply in Ganeshpeth and adjacent areas.
The UPA government had sanctioned Rs 1,100 crore for improvement of water supply of the city between 2006 and 2009. NMC engaged OCW in March 2012 and paying the company at high rates. The civic body had claimed the operator will solve all issues and facilitate 24×7 water supply by March 2017.
A spokesperson from OCW said, “NMC-OCW resolve complaints on a priority basis. There was a complaint from only one area, Eidgah Galli from Jaffar Nagar, on March 16. The complaint will be resolved in a day or two. In Siraspeth, one residential lane behind Navyug School is receiving polluted water. Work is going on. We are supplying water to consumers through tankers in affected area,” he said.
The spokesperson added that many illegal water connections have been detected in Siraspeth and many pipelines have been detected passing through sewage chambers in Jaffar Nagar. “We are identifying the problems and resolving it,” he said.
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