The Deccan Herald 03.12.2010
Water, sewage mix up at Defence Colony
Bangalore, December 2, DHNS :
Residents of Defence Colony in Indiranagar have been suffering from stomach upset and gastroenteritis symptoms for the past 15 days. But for the entire fortnight they were unaware about what led to the problem.
It was later discovered that a sewage pipeline and drinking water pipeline had broken after a civic agency had dug up the place to lay cables, resulting in water mixing up with sewage. The resultant contamination led to the outbreak of diseases near the 3rd main road of the colony.
Rashika, a resident, said that her two children had missed school for more than a week as they were suffering from nausea and diarrhoea. "My children are on antibiotics and have not completely recovered from their illness. The water that we received was green in colour and smelt bad,” she said.
Pipes replaced
After one of the residents complained to the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB), the agency promptly replaced pipes at the junction.
It also supplied water through tankers to 50 households, where most residents suffered from Gastroenteritis. Though there is no contamination any more, black silt has settled in many tanks in the area.
Prior to this incident, the Defence Colony Residents' Association had submitted a memorandum to BWSSB stating that the existing sewerage and water pipelines were laid 40 years ago and required replacement.
They said that the need for replacement was all the more, given that the households were converted into apartments, thus increasing the consumption of water and sewage being let out.
The memorandum also said that there were frequent blockages and leakages in the pipelines of the colony. BWSSB replied that the problem was being attended to.
Residents of the colony had sought a permanent solution to the problem, to prevent water contamination and overflow of sewage. They had also asked BWSSB to replace pipelines in the colony. But the agency has so far not replied to this demand.
No proposal
BWSSB Assistant Engineer, Jagadish, said that pipelines only in certain parts of the colony were being replaced. "We have replaced the pipelines near Children's Park. However, there is no proposal to change pipelines in the entire colony," he added.
