Over 1,000 fall ill as sewage mixes with drinking water in Jaipur

JAIPUR: Residents of Ward 45 in Sushilpura are grappling with a severe public health crisis, as sewage-contaminated drinking water over the past week has left more than 1,000 people unwell. Children and the elderly have been the worst affected, with complaints of stomach pain, vomiting, diarrhoea and fever reported in almost every household.

The situation in the locality reflects poor civic conditions. Streets are broken and filled with foul-smelling wastewater, making movement difficult. Residents say the problem began about a month ago when an existing cement road was dug up. During the process, a sewer line was allegedly damaged, leading to wastewater flowing through the streets and eventually mixing with the drinking water supply. Notably, the sewer line was only two years old, while the water pipeline was laid around three years ago.

Mangidevi, who lives with her three granddaughters, said, "I have no source of income. Both my sons have passed away, and my daughters-in-law left the children with me. We survive on rent from a few rooms. For the past three days, we have been arranging water from outside, mostly with help from tenants. Even this small expense is a burden for us. Water supply has been stopped, and though tankers were promised, none have arrived in the last two days. I don't know how I will manage."

Another resident, Janki Saini, said, "All three of my children are suffering from stomach pain and fever, and other family members, including me, are also unwell. We are bringing water from a nearby borewell and buying it from outside. The MLA instructed officials to arrange water, but no help has reached us so far."

Local resident Jagdish Sahu said, "My mother and I are suffering from stomach issues. I had to take my son to a dispensary this morning for a drip. At night, if someone falls ill, we rush to private doctors as the dispensary closes by 2 pm. I have already spent more than Rs 2,000 on treatment, and we are buying water daily for Rs 175. The contaminated water is being used for bathing."

Shopkeeper Lalit Mohan Paturiya said, "We have an RO at home, but it cannot remove the foul smell. My wife and mother are unwell with vomiting and stomach pain. Officials visit and leave, but we are left with the problem. We were told the work would be completed in four to five days, but we are not hopeful."

On Tuesday, MLA Gopal Sharma directed officials to fix the road, sewer line and water supply within 10 days and assured tanker supply. However, many residents said tankers have not reached their homes yet.

Former cabinet minister Pratap Singh Khachariyawas said, "If the road was in good condition, why was it dug up? If the pipeline was laid incorrectly, it is the responsibility of engineers."