Contaminated water supply in Vishwas Nagar

NEWDELHI: Over 250 households in east Delhi’s Vishwas Nagar are being forced to buy drinking water since a fortnight because of contaminated water supply.

Residents say the water is filthy and unfit even for domestic chores. They said even Delhi Jal Board (DJB) tankers that reached the neighbourhood after complaints did not supply potable water.

The colour of the water they are getting is brown and stinks, residents said. But DJB officials say water quality has improved after they put their staff to work.

It all started with no water for three days at a stretch on September 18, after which supply was contaminated and unfit for consumption.

The most affected are those living in block number 10, housing four streets. Some senior citizens and children even developed skin infection, residents said.

“All residents are buying packaged drinking water. A long chain of complaints to the DJB have not brought us any help. Engineers visited the site but have not been able to resolve the issue,” said, Lalit M Sharma, general secretary, local RWA.

The pipeline, Sharma said, is leaking at various points but has not been fixed so far.

Residents said the area has been dug up for laying piped natural gas lines, which may have affected the water pipeline. Another resident, Neeta Mahajan, said, “We spent around Rs 2,000 in the last 10 days on buying water.”

A senior DJB official said the problem has been resolved up to 90% and a compliance report has been received. He blamed residents for installing boosters that rust with age and pull drain water.

“The problem has been resolved to a large extent. The quality of water will improve in two-three days.”