‘Up to public to secure borewells’: BMC passes buck on water scare

Bhopal: Almost a week after water samples from a well in Khanugoan tested positive for E. coli contamination, residents continue to draw drinking water from other borewells in the dark, sparking concerns over public health and awareness.BMC officials say that they have informed the public and it is now ‘up to them to ensure their borewells are safe and get lab tests.'Health officials have yet to begin door-to-door medical checks, even though gastrointestinal illnesses such as diarrhea and stomach infections are the most common outcomes of E. coli exposure.On Wednesday, the Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) confirmed the presence of E. coli in Khanugoan but maintained that households must take responsibility for testing their own sources. Experts emphasize that without transparency, residents cannot gauge the scale of danger or take preventive measures.Accepting the possibility that bacteria can spread through connected aquifers, putting other borewells at risk, on Sunday, BMC city engineer (water supply) Udit Garg said, "We have informed the public. It is up to them to ensure their borewells are safe and get lab tests." Civic body has not released lab details like severity level, or contamination attributes into the public domain, leaving residents in the dark.Health department sources confirmed that a comprehensive health survey is yet to be undertaken across water contamination in three affected areas — Khanugoan, villages near Adampur and Bajpayee Nagar.Mohammed Zaheer, representative of corporator Rehana Sultan, rejected the BMC's stance, arguing that the civic body should test all sources. "It is not possible for every household to arrange testing. BMC must ensure borewells and wells are checked," he said. He pointed out that the sewage line responsible for the contamination falls under the Public Health Engineering (PHE) department, raising questions of inter-agency accountability.Meanwhile, a Congress corporator's aide expressed unease about expanding testing, noting that nearly 2,000 residents (out of about 15,000) are already disconnected from the direct supply line. He warned that wider testing could expose a larger crisis. "Earlier, water equivalent to 60 tankers was drawn from the now-contaminated well. Only 10–15 tankers are bridging the gap," he said.Off the record, a district health official cited the contamination could spread beyond one well and agreed that wider testing across multiple sites is necessary.