CUTTACK: The Orissa High Court has directed WATCO to put up public information boards indicating its toll-free number in all the 55 zones of Cuttack city so that residents can immediately contact the officials to report water leakage or contamination points in their area.
The division bench of Justice SK Sahoo and Justice Chittaranjan Dash issued the direction on Wednesday after perusal of an affidavit filed by general manager, WATCO (Cuttack division). The court was hearing an NGO - Maitree Sansad’s PIL seeking intervention for supply of safe drinking water supply in Cuttack city. Advocate Ajay Mohanty made submissions on the petitioner’s behalf..
On August 28, the court had asked WATCO to apprise it about its plans to ensure uninterrupted supply of safe drinking water during the ensuing festive season, starting with Ganesh Puja on September 7 and ending after Baliyatra in the third week of November.
In an affidavit, general manager Debabrata Mohanty stated that water purification and disinfection measures have been intensified. Members of the project management unit of CMC and WATCO officials would be engaged to increase surveillance of water leakages and possible contamination points. Regular testing of the water will be done to see that there is no iron oxide deposited in the water. Water supply pipelines would also be washed regularly to get rid of the deposition, he stated.
Health officer, CMC, Satyabrata Mohapatra assured the court that tankers with clean drinking water facilities will be provided at public places for convenience of the public.