Residents of KSFC Layout in Lingarajapuram, Bengaluru are angry and worried. According to The Times of India, they found sewage in the drinking water.
About 30 to 40 households stopped using tap water for more than a week. They have now moved to private water sources. Many families report recurring illnesses over the past few months. Some members even required hospital treatment due to suspected water-borne infections, according to TOI.
LiveMint could not independently verify the report.
Previously, residents believed that the disease was caused by food poisoning or a seasonal illness. This week they noticed smelly foamy water.
Inside the underground pits, they discovered thick sewage sludge. One resident reported that the cesspool contained smelly sewage, not just dirty water.
Read also | Watch: Bangalore boss celebrates employee’s milestone on Instagram
“When we opened the sump, it wasn’t just dirty water — it was smelly sewage sludge,” he told the publication.
“My daughters fell ill and we thought it was due to some other reason. Later, neighbors also complained of gastrointestinal pain, vomiting and diarrhoea. That’s when we approached the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB),” he said.
They urged the BWSSB to immediately identify the source of the contamination. They also urged the authorities to restore safe drinking water.
Another resident reported that the contamination had steadily worsened over time. She explained that previously after turning on the faucet, dirty water would flow for several minutes and then clear. Now the water is smelly, discolored and completely unusable.
Read also | Pink Parking: Bangalore mall praised for reserved spaces for ‘mothers-to-be’
“After suffering from stomach pain and diarrhea, I started buying water from outside,” she said.
According to one of the residents, her family learned about the problem only after she repeatedly fell ill. She said doctors confirmed it was a bacterial infection caused by contaminated water.
Her daughter was hospitalized and subsequently all three family members became ill. The family noticed a strange smell when bathing and washing dishes.
Later they found discolored water in the sump. After that, the family closed the main valve and stopped using the water supply.
BWSSB inspection
Following repeated complaints, BWSSB officials inspected Lingarajapuram on January 2 and 3. According to TOI, they have confirmed that sewage has entered the drinking water pipeline at an unknown location.
Residents say officials have not identified the exact violation. They dig several places by trial and error.
Read also | A church in Bangalore decorates a 25-foot Christmas tree with old saris; here’s why
The contamination is believed to have affected more than 30 homes in one lane. Doctors reportedly confirmed that the illnesses corresponded to contamination from the water.
Reaction on social networks
Social network users reacted to the contamination.
“The sad state of the common man everywhere,” wrote one.
“Most places don’t have proper sewage. One house next to us has a septic tank and a water tank next to it,” commented another.
Another user commented: “It’s easy to see everywhere how corrupt a nation we’ve become! People’s lives have no value unless you belong to a certain VIP group! You can be poor, middle class or even upper middle class… everyone will face the risk of life in various forms from contaminated water to fire.”
“All thanks to our incompetent and corrupt politicians and bureaucrats. Thanks to Nehru, Indira and Congress for looting India for over 60 years and making this corruption a staple of our culture,” wrote another.
