Chennai: In a disgusting turn to the water problems in Chennai, residents from Central Chennai localities – Triplicane and Royapettah – are receiving water contaminated with sewage for the past four months. While the upper-class people get away with the problem by buying water from private Lorries, the others are forced to use the filthy water for their day-to-day needs.
R Kanmani, a housewife who has been living at Royapettah since 21 years said that they use the contaminated water for washing and bathing. “We receive water supply only once in two days. Only if we pump out 20 pots of water, would the thick brown colour be reduced. But the stench cannot be escaped,” said Kanmani.
“The roadside eatery shops use the contaminated water for cooking. I have witnessed it many times,” she added.
Following the complaints from the residents, Chennai Metro water department has distributed water through lorries. But unfortunately, this was also filthy.
The situation is similar in Triplicane, forcing residents to rely on other means to meet the water demand.
Posing a threat to the public health, the can watersuppliers open the cans and mix the water with unclean water, lamented residents. When Deccan Chronicle raised a complaint with the food safety department, the officials ensured to look into the matter.
As the ways to access clean water in the locality are difficult, the public is thronging the metro water filling stations. When a few residents went to the Nungambakkam filling station, the staff restricted public access stating that it is a fill-up place for lorries, not public.
“The filling stations should at least set up a tap so that ourwater woes are solved,” said a woman at the Nungambakkam filling station. Meanwhile, the efforts to contact the metro water officials went in vain.
