‘My daughter’s fever wouldn’t subside, doctor prescribed strong medicines’: No relief for 3 Dwarka societies battling ‘contaminated’ water

Alongside health issues like diarrhoea and skin allergies, residents have been forced to rely on packaged drinking water. Delivery agents, and even pushcarts, are now a common sight in these colonies, bringing water cans to households daily.

Water Polluted at Dwarka Appartment , Vyas Kunj, Akshardham (Express Photo by Amit Mehra)

According to Delhi Jal Board (DJB) officials, however, preliminary tests of water samples collected from all three societies show that 90% of the water is now clear, and a detailed investigation is still ongoing. It has also begun flushing water and repairing pipelines.

Explaining the likely cause of contamination, a DJB official says, “When residents switch on motors to draw water when supply is low, the resulting vacuum can cause pipe joints to loosen. Water from the Palam and Najafgarh drains could have then mixed with the supply, leading to contamination.”

However, a Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) official says samples that the civic body collected on Monday and Wednesday from the societies failed safety tests.

Residents also claim the water still smells foul and appears visibly dirty. “When we open the taps, the water is black and foamy for the first 20 minutes. How can we collect water after that? Won’t it still be contaminated?” asks Mithalesh Sharma (55), a resident of Royal Green.

“The situation has worsened. Our hands feel grimy after using the water,” Sharma adds.

Health concerns have escalated in the community. (Express Photo by Amit Mehra)

Health concerns have escalated in the community. “The doctor had to prescribe strong medication for my daughter when her diarrhoea and fever wouldn’t subside,” says Jha.

Another resident adds, “When we visit nearby clinics or hospitals, doctors immediately ask if we’re from one of the three societies and then prescribe medicines for diarrhoea or food contamination.”

The MCD official attests to this. “About 20 people initially reported diarrhoea and vomiting, but the number of people falling ill rose to 70-100 by Wednesday. The department is conducting awareness programmes for residents not to use the water for consumption… and to use water from tankers instead.”

Sachets of Oral Rehydration Solution have been provided to residents of the three apartments, the official adds.

Ramneek Reena, President of the Residents’ Welfare Association (RWA) at Akshardham Apartments, has started using chlorine tablets to treat her water. “Buying packaged water every day is burning a hole in our pockets. How long can we go on like this? The society was built in the late 1980s — the pipelines clearly need replacement,” she adds.