Muddy water poses healththreat to Patnaites: Survey

Patna: The intermittent supply of muddy and smelly water in several localities of the city has caused panic among the citizens.
In a survey conducted by Muhalla Sabha, an organization engaged in ensuring availability of better civic amenities, majority of people in at least 10 wards of the city complained of getting dirty water from their taps.
Avinash Bharadwaj, a member of Muhalla Sabha, said, "Many people have complained that piped water even contains small insects.The problem is old water pipes which have leakages throughout. Muddy drain water easily sneaks in to the pipes through these leakages."
Of the 10 wards surveyed, Lohanipur (ward 36), Durukhi Muhalla (ward 60), Chandmari road (ward 35), High School Gali (ward 29) Nand Nagar Colony and Sweet Heart Lane (ward 48), Tulsi Mor (ward 57) and Kadamkuan (ward 38) are the worst-affected areas.
Afraid of their health, many citizens lodged complaints with the water control room set up by Urban Development and Housing Department. The complaints were later forwarded to the Patna Municipal Corporation (PMC), but to no avail.
Ajay Kumar Paswan, a resident of Saidpur (ward 48), said, "We have been running from pillar to post for 20 years, but the problem is yet to be solved. Many people in our neighbourhood are suffering from serious diseases due to supply of dirty water."
PMC commissioner Shirsat Kapil Ashok said that old water pipes needed immediate replacement. He said BUIDCO was assigned the task of installing new water pipes and water towers at many places in the city. "Since BUIDCO was later blacklisted, the work remained unfinished. The company is in the process of reacquiring the project," Ashok said, adding that once the piped drinking water project envisaged by chief minister Nitish Kumar materialises, the problem would automatically end.