'We Won't Drink Even A Sip': 33 Years After 1993 Contaminated Water Tragedy, Agra Families Still Live In Fear

Agra: The recent instance of fatalities in Indore on account of contaminated water has brought back the memories of a similar incident in Agra in 1993 where 19 people had died. The fear of that incident still lingers in the minds of the people. Ironically, the drinking water supply pattern remains largely unchanged as pipelines run alongside drains and sewers in large parts of the city.

Sources disclosed that because of leakages, hazardous water continues to be supplied to homes making people sick. A large number of people have stopped drinking this water. It is estimated that approximately 400,000 people are affected by the problem of contaminated water.

When the ETV Bharat team met the families who lost loved ones in the Agra water tragedy, they all said, "We won't drink even a sip of the water that took away our loved ones." They said that the water supply hasn't been properly restored since and people in the city rely on RO water while paying for it.

Even though Ganga water is supplied in Agra, the Jalkal Department receives more than 150 complaints of contaminated drinking water supply daily. Most of these complaints are from the old city where water pipelines are laid adjacent to drains or sewer lines leading to water contamination. The Jalkal Department claims that more than 400 water samples are taken every day and wherever complaints of leakage are received, the officials get the pipes repaired immediately.

The fact remains that the old city continues to face a sanitation crisis. Water pipelines run through drains and there are leakages at many places. The scenario has not changed since 1993.

Sources disclosed that the old city is lined with British-era pipelines buried under deep drains due to increasing population and construction. This makes it extremely difficult to detect leakages. The highest number of complaints of drinking water contamination come from areas including Muddi Mansoor Khan, Mandi Saeed Khan, Kala Mahal, Peepal Mandi, Nala Kazipada, Meera Hussaini, Chakkipat, Bijlighar, Baluganj, Chipitola, Nai Ki Mandi, Mantola, Asafoetida Mandi, Dhuliyaganj, Loha Mandi, Gokulpura, Jagdishpura, Kishorepura, Shahganj, Shaheed Nagar, Indirapuram, Balkeshwar, Nagla Padi, Khandari and others.

Rajesh, a resident of Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar Road, said, “Contaminated water comes from the taps for about 10 to 15 minutes in the morning. No one drinks it.”

Similarly, Sunil, another local resident, said that there is a pipeline near the drain close to his house that has never been checked.

Meanwhile, Geeta Devi of Khatikpada said that on the day of the Agra tragedy in 1993, everyone was happy in her house because of the birth of a daughter. But it turned into tragedy when her husband Kishan, who worked as a scrap dealer, died because of contaminated water.

Another resident of the locality, Jai Kumar, said, "Earlier, people from the Jalkal Department used to come to test the water and take samples. Now, no one comes. Dirty water continues to be supplied."

The victims of the 1993 tragedy clearly recall what had happened on that day and how they had lost their loved ones. Fear remains deep[rooted among them and they do not drink the water supplied through the taps.

Tejendra Rajoura, president of Uttar Pradesh Khatik Samaj, disclosed that he had initiated a campaign to provide financial assistance to the families of those killed in the water tragedy. The campaign continues.

"I have been fighting for justice for the last 33 years. So far, no action has been taken against a single employee of the Jalkal Department. No one has been convicted. A year ago, I appealed to the High Court regarding this. The Court has sought a response from the District Magistrate and the concerned department. I observe a black day every year on May 21. I appeal to the government to provide financial assistance to the families of the deceased. Along with this, a job should be provided to one of the members of the deceased’s family. At that time, the sick received only Rs 10,000 rupees and the families of the deceased received Rs 1 lakh each,” he said.

Experts believe that a solution to the fear of a repeat of the 1993 tragedy lies in regular audits of drinking water supply pipelines conducted by independent water quality testing agencies. They say that real-time monitoring and timely action on complaints is needed along with fixing responsibility of those found guilty. They say that this requires a political will.

When asked about the continuing supply of contaminated water, Arunendra Kumar Rajput, General Manager of the Jalkal Department, said, “Wherever there is a complaint of leakage or contamination of drinking water in the city, a team is sent to make arrangements and repair the leakages. The drinking water supply is reviewed daily. An order has also been issued that any agency laying a pipeline in the city should first inform the Jalkal Department and work in coordination with the Department so that any damaged pipeline can be repaired."

Meanwhile, Agra mayor Hemlata Diwakar Kushwaha has issued strict instructions to officials of the Jalkal Department while stating that any negligence in providing clean drinking water will not be tolerated. “Old and damaged pipelines in the city should be repaired. Decaying structures should be identified and regular cleaning of water tanks should be ensured. Officials have been instructed to coordinate with area councilors to improve the city's drinking water system. Furthermore, pipelines that meet sewer lines should be replaced and leaks should also be addressed,” she said.

Meanwhile, there are reports that the Indore incident has led to a scare in Kanpur where lakhs of people living in the southern part of the city have been forced to drink dirty water for the past several days.

Sources said that smelly, yellowish, muddy water is coming from the taps in Juhi, Baradevi, Saket Nagar, Usmanpur and some other areas. The residents are alarmed.

It is learnt that the water supply is being provided by the Jalkal Department in Benajhabar where the water is stored in a tank, and after undergoing several purification processes, it is supplied to the city's 110 wards.

Jalkal Department’s general manager Anand Tripathi acknowledged that complaints have been received about contaminated water and a major reason behind this is leakage in the pipelines.

“For this reason, officers are now deployed in the field from morning onwards. Teams arrive as soon as complaints are received and leaks are repaired,” he said.

He asked the people to register their complaints on the office's WhatsApp number: 7565004604. He said that water samples are being tested from 500 households daily. Women from self-help groups have been entrusted with this responsibility. Professors from Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur have also been assigned the testing task.