For the last 15 days the residents of Kempatty Colony have been unable to use the water the Coimbatore Corporation has supplied. The reason: the water is infested with worms.
The corporation supplies Siruvani water for close to 12 hours on alternate days for the last one month, but the water cannot be used, says N. Vani, a resident. Earlier, the corporation used to supply water only once in four days.
Holding a transparent plastic container where the worms big and small float freely in water, she says that the worm-infested supply has affected over 500 families.
All the families rely on the 10 public taps provided in the area, says P. Nagarathnam, another resident. They usually use the water after boiling. People tried using a cloth to filter the water while fetching from taps. But it did not help much, says N. Satheeswari, a resident. Left with very little choice, the residents have resigned to the fate.
The residents say they raised the matter with Councillor of Ward 84, A. Chandran. But he dismissed the complaint saying that what was found floating in the water was dust.
On Monday morning the residents again took up the matter with M. Chandran but he did not respond, the women alleged.
M. Chandran says he is aware of the issue and has asked water supply engineers in-charge of the ward to take remedial action. The corporation engineers have dug pits in a couple of places in the Ward to check if sewage mixed with water.
He says the residents did not accept his proposal to supply water in tanks.
M. Chandran dismisses the claims that AIADMK activists assaulted the residents who took up the matter with the media.
“That was nothing but scuffle among women,” he says Corporation engineers say they were trying to ascertain how the worms infested the water supply pipelines.
They are planning to supply more water after the problem is fixed and increase chlorine content to prevent outbreak of waterborne diseases.
