Residents fear spread of diseases, demand clean drinking water

The water is not only unfit to consume, it cannot even be used for gardening, complained the people there.

“When we first noticed that the water was contaminated, we thought the problem was with our water tank. So we cleaned the tank and then checked, but it was still the same. Later we came know that the problem is with the Metro Water pipeline,” said Murugesh L, general secretary, Parthasarathy Residents’ Welfare Association.

“After we filed a complaint with Metro Water, the officials visited and collected samples. But no action has been taken so far,” he added.

The residents here are worried that their children might fall sick if they drink this water. They also complain that Metro Water lorries don’t come in their street. “The taste of the water has changed after sewage got mixed with it. We cannot use it even for gardening due to the presence of sewage. And Metro Water lorries do not come to our street, forcing the families here to spend Rs 100 every day to get water cans from the shops,” said Kailashwaran V, another resident.

Speaking to DT Next, Sameelal Johnson, Superintending Engineer, Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewage Board (CMWSSB) said, “We will dig up the road and check for sewage line seepage as the water pipeline passes through the storm water drain. We ensure that the action is taken soon.”