KURNOOL: Almost all municipalities in the district are supplying contaminated water to people. This is not because the municipal staff is on strike. But, due to the negligence of officials in maintaining sanitation that is making life miserable for the public.
There is overflowing of sewage water onto the roads, a phenomenon mostly associated with monsoon. Meanwhile, the leakage of sewage pipes has compounded the problem by contaminating the drinking, leading to several health problems.
In Nandyal, there are over 35,000 taps and 30 per cent of them have been delivering contaminated water. Nearly, five lakh people in 50 colonies of the town are being supplied with polluted water. In Adoni, nearly 25,000 taps supply water to 3.50 lakh people.
And, the people living in colonies on the outskirts are the worst-hit with officials failing to ensure filtration of water. The areas where water is supplied from old Ranjala Lake is polluted all through the year.
In Yemmiganur, the problem of polluted water is more pronounced. Over 20,000 pipes supply drinking water to 2.5 lakh population. People in Kranthi Nagar, Indira Nagar, Sanjeevaiah Nagar, Somappa Nagar, NTR Colony and Kabela areas get only polluted water through municipal taps.
In 18 of the total 25 wards in Dhone Municipality, the water problem is prominent. Similarly, the newly-upgraded municipalities like Atmakur, Gudur, Nandikotkur, Allagadda, Banaganapalli towns also face the same situation. Municipal taps have been supplying dirty water this season.
“My family has a municipal tap connection, but contaminated water flows through it. So, we are just using the water only for cleaning and having bath,” J Veeresh of Yemmiganur town, said. He said that they were purchasing mineral water for drinking.
B Ramakrishna Naidu, resident of Gandhi Nagar in Adoni town, said that the municipal officials did not pay any heed to their problem even after they complained repeatedly about contaminated water. “Some water pipes set up through the drains have leaked and polluted the water,” he said.
Another resident of Syamkaluva area in Nandyal town, D Adam, said that they were receiving unfiltered water through municipal taps for decades. “Our colony roads and drains turn into water ponds every rainy season as roads are in bad condition. Dirty water seeps into the drinking water pipes,” he said.
Officials apathetic in maintaining sanitation
The negligence of officials in maintaining sanitation is making life miserable for the public. Leakage of sewage pipes has compounded the problem by contaminating the water, leading to health problems.