Residents in Gandhipuram in Coimbatore allege the drinking water they get is muddy

A water supply official in the Coimbatore Corporation said the problem was because the water level in the Siruvani reservoir has recently reached only 21 feet out of its total capacity of 49.5 feet and the rising silt content in the water causes it to become turbid.

The water supplied by the Coimbatore Corporation once in two weeks is muddy and turbid, claim residents of Gandhipuram in the city. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

The residents of Gandhipuram under Ward 48 and 68 in Coimbatore city claim the drinking water they get every fortnight has been muddy and turbid for the past three months. The available water is not fit for drinking, they alleged.

Some residents attributed their family members’ frequent illness to the poor water quality.

According to a resident in Gandhipuram Third Street, the water supply is irregular, coming only once every two weeks from 5 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. The water is often muddy and sometimes even black. “We wait an hour before collecting the semi-muddy water as the water is very muddy in the first and last hour, and sometimes even salty.”

To make it potable, many have resorted to installing Reverse Osmosis systems in their homes, while others have turned to borewell water or retail water supplies.

The resident alleged, “We have complained to the water supply engineer and even the sanitary inspector, but no action has been taken so far. We’re worried about the long-term consequences on our health.”

A water supply official in the Coimbatore Corporation said the problem was because the water level in the Siruvani Reservoir in Palakkad district of Kerala had recently reached 21 feet out of its total capacity of 49.53 feet and the rising silt content in the water caused it to become turbid.

The official said a comprehensive survey of water pipelines would be conducted to address the issue.