Ludhiana: A delayed rollout of water chlorination systems leaves thousands in this city exposed to contaminated supply as the rainy season begins.Civic officials rush to secure water treatment tenders after leaving 77% of city pumps unchlorinated. Only 329 of the city’s 1,371 municipal tube wells — about 23% — currently feature functional chemical dosing pumps.While the municipal corporation floated tenders recently to install chlorinators at an additional 673 stations to achieve full coverage, residents warn the intervention comes dangerously late.Waterborne pathogens multiply rapidly during the rainy season, significantly elevating the risk of cholera and diarrhoea outbreaks. Local residents report that water quality is already poor, with many regularly receiving discoloured or foul-smelling water.“If chlorination does not take place immediately, an outbreak is sure to occur,” said Chander Nagar resident Gurdeep Singh, noting that faults are only fixed after repeated community complaints.Municipal officials defended the timeline, stating the rollout follows direct orders from the newly appointed municipal commissioner. Officials also claimed that because the city’s water network was interconnected, treated water from existing wells partially chlorinated the broader system.However, political pressure on them is mounting. Ward 82 councillor Arun Sharma reported widespread contamination in his district and threatened to dump bottles of the tainted water at the civic body’s headquarters if the crisis was not resolved quickly.
