Sewage & Drinking Water Mix For Kharadi Residents

Pune: For over two months, 300-odd residents of Satin Brick, a residential complex in the upscale Kharadi area, have perforce completely stopped filling up drinking water from their taps.For all 84 flats here, 30-litre cans of mineral water have now mandatorily replaced the cloudy, foul-smelling water supply, which many allege is making them repeatedly ill. The residents described a pattern that screams of administrative apathy — they complain about the water supply, Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) responds somewhat alarmingly by clearing nearby sewage lines, and for a brief stretch of time, the water runs clearer, before returning to its questionable state. "In a fairer world, people being forced to drink such contaminated water would have initiated litigation. Most importantly, strict action would have been ensured against civic officials, whose job it is to ensure that drinking water and sewage lines don't intermingle. But in PMC limits, it is just another day," lamented Gauri Thakur, claiming that her four-year-old daughter has been in and out of the hospital since March because of stomach infections caused by the water. Samples collected by PMC's health department on April 17 this year recorded coliform counts of 5 and 9 MPN (Most Probable Number) per 100 millilitres. By regulatory standards, the permissible level is zero. Turbidity, another marker of water quality that should ideally remain at or below 1 NTU (Nephelometric Turbidity Units), was measured at 12.8 in one sample. Health department officials, however, refuted that "only four suspected cases of waterborne diseases were found" in their survey in the society, and said the residents were advised to drink boiled water. They further said the matter has been referred to the Metropolitan Surveillance Unit (MSU) of PMC for monitoring. The MSU was created in 2025 to detect, prevent, and control infectious disease outbreaks in civic limits. But society resident Kunal Ranjan countered the officials' claim and said that a spate of waterborne disease cases was reported in the society. "We are completely tanker-dependent for clean utility water, spending Rs1.5 lakh per month," he said, adding, "It is not just about numbers, but how this exposure affects our health. When we open our taps, we want to know that we are not inviting disease into our homes." Thakur added to TOI, "Although we mainly consume bottled water at home, my daughter may have caught some bug from the unclean supply even while having a shower. In countries abroad, you can directly drink tap water and it is safe. High-rises are not the benchmark of development. It is access to basics like clean air, water and infrastructure. I am an executive in a company and have to leave my work to sit outside a local corporator's house to beg for clean water. Why is this the case? Why are we paying taxes if govt can't even provide us with clean water? Residents are forced to complain repeatedly, and the system is only reactive. Those responsible for such a situation are never taken to task for negligence. At one point, my daughter's condition was so bad that she had internal bleeding. Who can I hold responsible?" Similarly, retired businessman Pratap Kothari, another resident, said his two granddaughters fell ill last month. "Both experienced vomiting and diarrhoea and had to be taken to the hospital. They had eaten nothing from outside, and doctors said it was a stomach infection. Even the water purifiers in the house seem to have given up. Since we cannot risk their health, we now get two 30-litre bottles of mineral water for drinking. PMC needs to clean up its act and replace faulty lines — both sewage and water — so that we can drink water without fear," he said. Officials of the PMC water department's Bund Garden section meanwhile agreed that there was a leak, but said it has been plugged along with cleaning choked sewage pipelines at the spot on April 24. They said that since then, water quality has improved and is potable. "The latest report shows no coliform presence," says Eknath Gadekar, executive engineer of the Bund Garden section. Thereafter, PMC's follow-up test reports on April 27 shows 0 coliform, but turbidity remains at 10 NTU, higher than the safe limit. But Ranjan told TOI, "On April 28, residents also sent water samples to a private lab to cross-check PMC's findings. These results found coliform 9 MPN and even 21 MPN in one sample, negating the civic body's assessment." When contacted by TOI, assistant health officer Dr Vaishali Jadhav, office in-charge of MSU, said that after checking the water quality report of April 27, they have already sent a letter to the water department, asking officials to ensure that such contamination is not repeated. "If this is a recurring problem, it is a health risk. We have asked the water department to find the root cause and fix it permanently. Secondly, we will also be writing to the society, asking them to service the RO plant or purifier, clean up the water tank, and on an individual level, always boil the water for 30 mins before brinking it," said Jadhav. Surendra Pathare, corporator from ward no. 4, said that they will be replacing the water pipeline in the area. "Amongst the 10 lines here, water contamination has been reported in two lines. Despite cleaning up the water and sewage lines multiple times, the issue persists. Some people living around the area have taken illegal connections, due to which leaks have formed in the main line." Asked why action was not taken despite knowledge about the illegal connections, Pathare said, "Residents of the area have been complaining about low water pressure and supply, but authorities have failed to redress these complaints. All issues will be solved when the new pipeline is laid. We will ensure that there are no illegal connections then." NEVER-ENDING PROBLEM Feb 15 | Contamination observed Feb 23 | PMC carries out some repairs after complaint raised with corporator Surendra Pathare; water runs clean thereafter March 15 | Contamination noticed again March 23 | Residents approach PMC water department April 13 | Residents approach corporator Pathare again as no action taken by PMC; Pathare visits society and promises quick resolution April 14 | PMC officials visit site, sewage lines cleaned April 17 | Sample collected for analysis by PMC health department April 21 | Report from health department highlights that sample collected post-cleaning is still contaminated April 23 | Sample collected again by PMC health department April 27 | Report from health department highlights no coliform contamination April 28 | Residents collect samples and send to a private lab for testing April 30 | Private lab report states that the water can't be used for drinking Top Demands Of Kharadi Residents Are Uninterrupted Supply & A Permanent Resolution Following a protest by Kharadi residents to highlight their forced dependence on water tankers, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has presented a three-point plan of action to resolve their complaints.The Kharadi Housing Societies Welfare Association (KHSWA) on May 1 conducted a chain-fasting protest with the goal of "tanker-free Kharadi", and also wrote a letter to PMC commissioner highlighting their woes. KHSWA has over 50 societies as active members, representing approximately 30,000 citizens. Resident Sumit Dusad said, "Residents struggle with the double burden of high property taxes and rising maintenance costs yet continue to get inadequate water supply. It is concerning that private tanker operators can ensure regular supply but PMC falls short." Another resident, Pravin Zore, pointed out, "Housing societies are being forced to procure water through tankers at high costs, resulting in a steep increase of 50-80% in monthly maintenance bills." In response, PMC officials met residents and offered a plan that assures filling of the three water tanks in survey no. 58 to full capacity in the next 15 days and increasing supply here. They also promised to operationalise the overhead tank in survey no. 38 by May-end. Increasing supply involves conducting a survey to bring a piped water supply system across Kharadi, after which a detailed and long-term water distribution plan will be prepared and implemented at the earliest. Pritam Singh from the Riverdale Heights society said, "PMC gives regular water supply to commercial establishments, but our society with over 550 families gets nothing. For six years, we have not received even 4,000 litres per day from PMC, whereas our approved quota is more than 2.5 lakh litres daily. Our protest was against years of neglect."