CHENNAI: Thirteen-year-old Swarna accidentally gulped a few mouthfuls of water while bathing. Two days later she was rushed to a private hospital in Padappai as she was running a high fever. Her parents who already knew why she fell sick, were yet again told by doctors that the contaminated water she had consumed, was the cause of her fever.
However, this problem is not limited to Swarna’s family alone. The 1,800-odd families who were shifted from the city to the TNSCB resettlement colony at Navalur in 2017, have been suffering from various ailments since they moved into the colony. “Two months ago, at least 20 families from each block fell very ill after drinking this water. The water stinks and is yellowish in colour most of the time. Food cooked with this water goes bad after a few hours. One common ailment faced by all is skin rashes. After we complained, officials have added many chemicals to the water. This causes health problems too,” said a resident.
Sewage mixes with lake
Residents alleged that sewage generated from the colony after treatment, was let into the water body which happens to be the main source of water for the entire colony. When Express visited the colony, sewage treated at a common treatment plant was discharged into a canal which travels for half an kilometer and finally flows into the Serapanancheri water body.
Children playing near the water body said as garbage was also dumped near the place, leachate from this mixes with the water, further polluting it. “As soon as we moved here, my friends and I soon found out that our waste water reaches the Eri. Two years earlier, the water from the Eri used to taste sweet and was safe to drink. Now, even if we wash our faces with this water, it burns,” said Aravind Raj, a student.
Because of this, many families who could afford it, switched to buying packaged water cans for cooking and drinking purposes at `600 per month. Others who couldn’t afford it, continued to use water from taps.
Some residents found an alternate measure and started to draw potable water from borewells installed by the Serapanancheri Panchayat in the houses of villagers located nearby. But a few residents like 64-year-old Aarayi cannot walk till there to fetch water. “My legs are too weak to climb down two flights of stairs and walk till the villagers’ house to draw water. So, I drink the foul smelling water from the tap. My six grandchildren too have food cooked with this water as my family has no money to buy water cans. It will be very helpful if officials can install borewells within the colony,” she added.
Absence of basic facilities
Without a healthcare centre, residents do not get treated for the problems caused due to contaminated water. With insufficient transport facilities, they can’t travel to private clinics as well. And lastly, due to severe unemployment, people cannot afford frequent hospitalisation or buy good quality water. Hence, an unending circle of problems have caused close to 300 families, to leave the colony.
A dispensary that is present inside the colony, was often locked but after residents protested, a doctor and a nurse have been posted here. “They come at 10 am and stay only for a few hours. We need them to stay especially during the night hours as we have no ambulance facility,” said Prakash S, a resident.
What officials say
When Express contacted officials from the slum clearance board, they said water quality was regularly tested and no such contamination was found. “After residents complained, we tested the quality of water from the Eri two months ago. Water was found to be unpolluted and potable. We also installed a water filter structure along the sewage canal so that sediments get collected. Even if sewage water mixes, it is not harmful,” added an official.
