The Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) on Friday acknowledged that there is a “serious issue” of water contamination due to overloading of drains in cluster neighbourhoods. The civic body, which is facing criticism over the issue, has decided to identify over 50 places where water supply and sewage networks meet, causing pollution.
The development comes after Vadgam MLA Jignesh Mevani on Friday demanded the resignation of the Vadodara mayor after a 20-year-old girl died on July 16. The deceased lived in Harijanwas on Jetalpur Road, where residents are pleading with the civic body to look into the issue. water contamination.
On Friday, Mevani shared a video stating that the deceased girl’s father is “fighting for life” despite VMC having a budget of Rs 3,600 crore. “It is a shame that the city of Maharaja Sayajirao Gaikwad, which is run by the VMC, with an annual budget of Rs 3,600 crore, cannot provide clean drinking water in the mayor’s ward to the Dalit populated areas… 70 years after independence, Dalits Families are asking that they should at least get clean drinking water… If the mayor has any shame, he should resign. Mevani said that punitive action should be initiated against the officials responsible and the family should get a compensation of Rs 20 lakh. The video, widely shared by the Congress, turned the VMC red.
Mayor Keyur Rokadia, who had visited the area after the death, remained unavailable for comment. Municipal engineer Alpesh Majmundar said the VMC had identified over 50 places of contamination and proposed laying a new network of water supply and drainage lines.
“Contamination is an issue that occurs during monsoon when the drainage lines overflow and there is leakage in the network… In Vadodara, we do not have a separate network for stormwater drainage due to space constraints. But during the monsoon, water pollution clusters in neighboring cities,” said Majmundar.
The civic body’s health department said the cause of death of the 20-year-old was unknown as the family had not conducted tests to diagnose his illness. “VMC has not received any clinical diagnosis of the girl. She was suffering from acute diarrhea but did not get tested for cholera. The family did not conduct an autopsy and cannot be counted as a case of cholera… Her father, who was also unwell, has been discharged as he has recovered and is back home. He also did not test positive for cholera,” said Dr Devesh Patel, medical officer of health.