‘Foul-smelling, discoloured’: Sewage in drinking water triggers Indore-like scare in Bengaluru; 30 houses on 1 lane hit

BENGALURU: Sewage contamination of drinking water has left residents of KSFC Layout in Lingarajapuram, under North City Corporation limits, furious and fearful of an Indore-like public health crisis, with 30-40 households forced to switch to private water sources for over a week.

Several residents said family members had been falling ill frequently over the past few months, with some requiring hospitalisation for suspected water-borne infections.

Residents of 3rd 'B' Main said they fear the situation could escalate into an Indore-like incident, and have urged the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board to urgently trace the source of contamination and restore a safe drinking water supply.




Residents TOI spoke to said that the problem went undetected for weeks, as early symptoms were initially attributed to food poisoning or seasonal illness. The scale of water contamination became evident only this week, when they noticed foul-smelling, frothy water and found thick layers of dark sewage silt while cleaning underground sumps. "When we opened the sump, it wasn't just dirty water-it was stinking sewage sludge," said Paul Newman, a resident.

He said several families in the lane reported similar symptoms.

"My daughters fell ill, and we thought it was due to some other reason. Later, neighbours too complained of gastrointestinal pain, vomiting and diarrhoea. That's when we approached BWSSB," he said.

Shamala, another resident, said the contamination has worsened over time. "Initially, dirty water would flow for a few minutes after we opened the tap, followed by clear water. Now, the water is extremely foul-smelling and discoloured. It is completely unusable, we didn't want to take the risk. After suffering stomachache and diarrhoea, I began buying water from outside," she said.

Following multiple complaints, BWSSB officials inspected Lingarajapuram area Friday and Saturday and confirmed that sewage had mixed with the potable water pipeline at an unidentified point. However, residents alleged that officials are yet to pinpoint the exact breach and are digging up multiple locations in a trial-and-error effort to trace the fault.

The contamination is believed to have affected more than 30 houses along a single lane, though residents fear the impact could be wider. Treating doctors, residents said, confirmed that the illnesses were consistent with water contamination.

Anicita Rosario, another resident, said her family realised the problem only after repeated illnesses. "The doctor confirmed it was a bacterial infection caused by water. My daughter was hospitalised, and then all three of us fell sick. We noticed a strange smell while bathing and washing dishes, and later saw discoloured water in the sump. That's when we shut the main valve and cut off the water supply," she said.

Water tanks, sanitization costs add to burden

Fearing the outbreak of a major disease, residents have cut off water supply. In the absence of alternative arrangements by BWSSB, they now rely on private water tankers. "People are not just dealing with hospital bills but are also forced to spend on deep sump cleaning, which is expensive. We are using packaged RO water from bulk suppliers for drinking and cooking. We don't know when safe water supply will be restored. Even if the govt deploys tankers till the leak is plugged, our pipelines and taps remain contaminated, and we cannot risk using them," said Paul, another resident.