Contaminated water supply in city areas sparks health scare

Lucknow: With complaints of muddy and foul-smelling water being supplied to multiple city areas surfacing, city residents fear an Indore-like water contamination crisis in the state capital.On Tuesday, residents of Husainganj in the Mahatma Gandhi Vikramaditya ward blocked a road by placing buckets on the street and raising slogans against the Lucknow Municipal Corporation and the Jalkal department. A similar protest was held on Sunday in Mayawati Colony in Indiranagar.
Residents of Husainganj said nearly 300 households received contaminated water for several days, leading to illnesses, especially among children and the elderly. "We keep complaining, but no one listens. Officials only come to collect taxes. When it comes to water, nobody turns up," said Islam Ali, a resident of the Babu Banarasi Das ward. Akhtar Jahan and Ram Kumari said the water supply was erratic and often mixed with sewage. "Even when water comes for 0.5 hour, it is muddy and smells bad. We cannot use it," Ram Kumari said. Similar complaints were reported from Lalbagh, Indiranagar, Maulviganj, Nai Basti, Beldar Lane, Shankar Nagar Ward II and Adil Nagar. Local corporator Amit Chaudhary said the issue was raised repeatedly, but no alternative water arrangement was provided so far. In Shankarnagar and Adilnagar, residents blamed old and damaged pipelines for the mixing of sewage and mud with tap water. "Pipelines are broken at several places, so we are arranging tankers at our own cost," said Suresh Verma. Jalkal general manager Kuldeep Singh said repair work was underway wherever faults were reported, and that replacement of dilapidated pipelines was planned. He also shared helpline numbers for residents to lodge complaints: 8177054100, 8177054003 and 8177054010.