‘If connections are cut, we will be forced to drink toxic water’: BMC arrives to cut ‘illegal’ supply at gas-affected colony

BHOPAL: As fears and concerns around water contamination rise among citizens in the nation, an old and neglected fault-line in Bhopal emerged when the civic body (BMC) arrived at a gasaffected colony on Friday to cut ‘illegal’ water connections here. The residents said they cannot afford Rs 10,000 connections and if the connections are cut, they would be forced to drink ‘poisonous’ groundwater.Residents of Brij Vihar Colony in Nishatpura locality, a gas-affected area, objected as a BMC team arrived there early in the morning to cut ‘illegal’ water connections. There are around 70 households in the colony and they are drawing water from Narmada pipeline which runs across the place. Mayank Pal, one of the residents in the colony, said that their colony is one of the 42 colonies where the Supreme Court had ordered free water supply as the groundwater in the area near the Carbide plant is contaminated.“However, the BMC is asking for Rs 10,000 to provide us connection as it’s a private colony. We can give the BMC monthly water cess ofRs 280 or whatever it is but giving Rs 10,000 for connection is not possible.” he added.Activist Rachna Dhingra, who also took up the issue with BMC officials said the residents of the colony are entitled to free water supply and when the issue of colony not getting tap water was raised with the Monitoring Committee appointed by the apex court, they had arranged for a tank to be placed in the colony.“But it’s difficult to fetch water from the tank, so people have taken connection from the Narmada pipelinerunning across the colony”, she added.The BMC team cut the connections but restored it later in the morning as the residents said they would be constrained to drink ‘poisonous’ groundwater if the connections are cut. BMC additional commissioner Tanmay Sharma, who was also there at the spot, said, “The colony has come up years after the gas tragedy took place. We can still consider giving them connection, but drawing water through illegal connection is not proper in any case.”