Times of India: Gurugram: Saturday, May
13, 2017.
Water tanks
in seven sectors of the city haven't been cleaned even once in the last four
years, the reply to an RTI petition has revealed.
"No
underground and overhead water tanks under the jurisdiction of Huda division no
II was cleaned during the last four years," stated the RTI reply, a copy
of which is with TOI.
Both overhead
and underground tanks in Sector 5, 12 and 18 were last cleaned in 2013, while
those in Sector 21, 22, 23 and 23A were cleaned in the year of 2011 last time.
"It is shocking that despite paying maintenance and regular charges, we
are made to consume water stored in tanks that have not been cleaned for so
many years," said Aseem Takyar, a resident of Sector 23 who had filed the
RTI petition.
"The
water that we get at our place smells really bad. Some labourers, who live
close to an underground tank in Sector 23, has told us that the stench from the
tank has made it impossible for them to live in the area. The water from the
tank is unhygienic but we don't have any other option," said Karan
Srivastava, a resident of Sector 22.
Some
residents have blamed the dirty water for the poor health of their children.
"My younger daughter, who is 6-year-old, got diarrhoea last year and is
down with fever this year too. Though we have a RO water purifier at our place
still I can't let my children consume this contaminated water any more,"
said Malini Bhatt, a resident of Sector 3. In 2011, the State Information
Commission of Haryana directed Huda, in public interest, to put up notice
boards at all the underground and overhead water tanks, mentioning the 'date of
cleaning' and the 'next date of cleaning'.
TOI found out
that there is no notice board at most of the tanks. And even if notice boards
have been put up near some tanks, there is no information about cleaning
process.
When
contacted, Huda officials blamed MCG for the unhygienic condition of the tanks.
"Sector 3, 5, 12, 12A, 18, 21, 22, 23 and 23A have been transferred to
MCG. However, the water is being chlorinated regularly," said a Huda
official, requesting anonymity. An MCG official said the civic body had taken
over the sectors recently, and would take care of the tanks in future. "We
have been cleaning few tanks. However, it will take some time to cover all the
tanks," said the MCG official.
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