Amarpuri Colony residents protest dirty water supply

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, September 15

As the Municipal Corporation has failed to resolve the contaminated water supply issue for almost past two weeks, residents of Amarpuri Colony in Ward 31 staged a protest outside the MC’s Zone C office on Gill Road.

The residents blamed MC officials for turning a blind eye towards their complaint, leaving them at risk of diseases.

The protesters alleged that acid-mixed water was being supplied to their houses. There are some factories in the area. The residents gave a two-day ultimatum to the civic body to resolve the problem, otherwise they would stage a massive protest again.

Following the protest, the MC officials came into action and visited the affected area. When a road was dug up in the area, it came to light that an old water supply pipe has developed cracks.

Amarpal Kaur, Neelam and other residents said the contaminated water supply was causing health problems among the residents. They demanded from the MC to find out a permanent solution to the issue and make arrangements for safe drinking water supply through tankers till the problem was resolved.

Pankaj Sharma, husband of area councillor Sonia Sharma, said there were some factories in the area and chemicals released by them were getting mixed in the water supply line.

“We got information yesterday that two children in the area had also fallen ill due to the contaminated water supply. The residents had complained to the civic body on September 2 about the issue but the MC failed to take any timely action. Thus, the residents were forced to hold a protest today,” he said.

MC Superintending Engineer Ravinder Garg said the work had been started to replace the water supply pipe in the Amarpuri area.

He said they would write to the PPCB against acid factories in the area.