Ludhiana residents move PSHRC on contaminated water supply

Kuldip Bhatia

Ludhiana, October 18

Residents of the E-block of Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar here, who have been allegedly getting contaminated water supply – apparently mixed with sewerage discharge – for more than 15 days now, have filed a complaint with the Punjab Human Rights Commission (PSHRC), seeking immediate intervention of the latter in the issue and the redress of their problem.

At least five residents, including senior citizen Amarjit Singh (75) with cardiac problem, along with other residents, including Pran Bhatia, Arvind Sharma, Balraj Chopra and Jaspal Singh Takkar, have brought to the notice of the PSHRC that they were getting contaminated water supply.

“Staff of the Ludhiana Improvement Trust (LIT) and the Punjab Water Supply and Sewerage Board (PWSSB), who provide and maintain water supply and sewerage in the colony, have visited the affected area for several times to rectify the problem. But till now, they have not been able to locate the fault with the result that unsafe piped water is being supplied to parts of the colony, thereby exposing the residents to serious health hazards and outbreak of water-borne diseases,” said the aggrieved residents.

Maintaining that access to safe drinking water was the basic civic right of the residents, the complainants urged the PSHRC to intervene in the matter and issue directions to both the LIT and the PWSSB authorities to take up the matter on a priority basis and ensure the supply of potable water to the residents. They also pointed out that more than the issue of the contaminated water supply, the indifferent attitude of the officials concerned (of LIT and PWSSB) was reprehensible and smacked of criminal negligence.

The residents further wanted that in addition to providing safe drinking water to the colony forthwith, the field staff and supervisory officials responsible for the lapse should be proceeded against as per the law of the land.

LIT Chairman Raman Balasubramanium said the matter was being vigorously pursued with the PWSSB officials and they had been asked to lay a new water main pipe in the affected area if the fault was not traceable. Efforts were also being made to isolate certain problematic areas to see if the quality of water improved. “The issue will be sorted out in a couple of days,” he said.