Mayor rejects water contamination charges

Kolkata: Kolkata mayor Sovan Chatterjee on Monday rejected the allegation of contamination of water supplied by the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) in the wake of hundreds of people falling ill due to diarrhoea at least in six wards in the Baghajatin area of the city civic body.

Nearly 650 residents of ward no. 101, 102, 107, 108, 109 and 110 of the KMC complained of suffering from diarrhoea since February 10 night after drinking the water.

Around 270 persons were rushed to Baghajatin State General Hospital.

Mr Chatterjee said, “If the contamination of water had occurred at a particular place, we would have identified it and restricted it. But after the sample of water collected and tested so far, no problem has come to light. We feel that water can be used without any fear. Though samples are still collected and sent for testing at the School of Tropical Medicine. We want to solve the problem and trace its root.”

Mr Chatterjee who is also the environment minister brushed aside the complaint of price hike of mineral water bottles.

“It is not possible to locate who bought water at what price. I am not an investigation agency. So I have no complaint about the price hike of water,” the city mayor claimed.

Sujan Chakraborty, CPI(M) MLA of Jadavpur under which Baghajatin is located, demanded that the cause of the outbreak should be probed.

Countering Mr Chatterjee’s version, he said, “They are saying there is no problem. But that is not enough. It does not solve the problem. It is very important to look into why and how it happened. I have urged them to examine it seriously. It is urgent to check the water coming from Dhapa. All have to be serious. I should not say all have failed. At the same time I have no authority to certify that all have passed. But everyone should be cautious.”