New Delhi, June 25
Three persons of the NCERT Colony at Aurobindo Marg died allegedly by drinking contaminated water and around 50 persons were hospitalized in Safdarjung, Rockland and Moti hospitals in south Delhi today.
The Opposition put the onus on the Delhi Jal Board (DJB), saying that it has been providing polluted water to the residents of the city. "The residents said that they have been getting polluted water continuously for the past one and a half month due to which they have fallen ill. Some of the families are suffering from diarrhea and cholera," said BJP president of the Delhi unit Vijay Goel.
However, defying allegations, the DJB officials have passed the buck on internal maintenance agencies. "It is clarified that the DJB provides bulk water supply to the NCERT complex, while the internal distribution is taken care of by the maintenance agency. Local contamination in the internal distribution system is required to be addressed by the maintenance agency. The water supplied by the DJB has been tested and found to meet the BIS standards,' said spokesperson for the DJB Sanjam Cheema.
While BJP leaders, who visited the family members of the deceased, said the Director of NCERT, Praveen Sinkler, had complained to the civic agencies and the DJB on June 24 regarding the supply of contaminated water. In response to which, health department officials of the municipal corporation went there and found that the water is polluted and the tanks should be cleaned.
"People have not fallen ill on a single day rather were suffering due to polluted water for the past few days. The sale of mineral water is increasing in entire Delhi because the water supplied by the DJB is not worth drinking," said Goel.
Clarifying on behalf of the DJB on the matter, officials of the Delhi Government said that the water supplied by the DJB is being stored in an underground reservoir. "Internal supply in this colony is not the responsibility of the DJB. The DJB on request sent four water tankers in the colony. The drinking water being supplied through tankers is also safe and fit for drinking," said a senior official in the Delhi Government.
"As far as the DJB is concerned, the bulk water being supplied by it had no contamination. The DJB has always taken steps to prevent contamination and to get samples of drinking water collected regularly and tested scientifically in its advanced laboratories," he said.
Meanwhile, Minister for Social welfare Kiran Walia today visited the NCERT Colony where she asked the Director, NCERT Colony, to bear the expenditure of ill and affected persons at private hospitals. She also directed him to supply mineral water to all the households of the colony till the situation becomes normal.
