Contaminated Drinking Water Crisis in Bhopal: Survivors Demand Action

Bhopal Residents Face Water Contamination Issues

Bhopal, July 31: On Friday, four organizations representing the survivors of the 1984 Bhopal gas tragedy raised serious concerns regarding the supply of sewage-contaminated drinking water to various colonies near the abandoned Union Carbide facility. They attributed this issue to the inadequate civic infrastructure in the area.

During a press conference, these organizations unveiled a report indicating that out of 63 drinking water samples taken from taps across 30 colonies this month, 43 tested positive for faecal coliform, a clear sign of sewage contamination.

Nawab Khan, who leads the Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Purush Sangharsh Morcha, emphasized the alarming public health implications of these findings. He stated, “Our testing of 63 water samples from taps in 30 communities revealed that 43 contained faecal coliform. This indicates that drinking water in 19 of these communities is contaminated with fecal matter.”

Khan further noted that 90% of samples from areas supplied by the Upper Lake showed contamination, while 25% of samples from the Kolar Dam source also failed safety tests.

The organizations highlighted that the lack of underground sewage systems and proper drainage has led to the mixing of sewage with drinking water pipelines, putting residents at risk of waterborne diseases like diarrhea, vomiting, and typhoid.

They recalled that in 2004, the Supreme Court mandated authorities to provide piped drinking water to residents after discovering toxic chemical contamination in groundwater around the abandoned factory.

Moreover, they pointed out that in 2018, the Supreme Court instructed the Bhopal Municipal Corporation to install sewer lines and enhance drainage in response to complaints about faecal contamination in piped water.

Despite assurances from the civic body to complete the project within three months, the work remains unfinished even after eight years.

“We demand a timely execution of the sewerage and drainage project along with an independent monitoring system for drinking water quality. Residents should not suffer due to the lack of essential civic services,” stated Rachna Dhingra from the Bhopal Group for Information and Action.

The organizations called on the state government and the Bhopal Municipal Corporation to expedite the completion of the sewerage and drainage systems to ensure safe drinking water for the affected communities.