Kolkata: The water contamination crisis at Siddha Happyville in Rajarhat deepened on Tuesday with more residents, including a three-year-old child, reportedly falling ill and requiring hospitalisation, prompting some families to temporarily move out of the complex. Some appealed to the govt to intervene urgently as uncertainty over the safety of the water supply continued.The development came a day after the Public Health Engineering department collected water samples from the complex to determine the source of the suspected contamination and the facility management advising residents not to use the supplied water for drinking or kitchen purposes until further orders. Several residents said the situation had left families struggling to arrange safe drinking water and meet rising medical expenses.“Multiple residents of our complex, including one of our neighbours, have already shifted to their ancestral home. They have said they will come back only after the situation improves. But we have no idea when the situation will improve,” said resident Safikureshi Mondal.Residents have reported symptoms including vomiting, diarrhoea, stomach pain, weakness and dehydration in recent days, with some requiring medical treatment. The facility management has deputed three doctors at the complex to treat affected residents.The crisis has also triggered severe water scarcity after the management began cleaning the overhead tanks and underground reservoir that supply water to all nine towers. District authorities have arranged water tankers to maintain supply of clean drinking water.In a complaint to the authorities, resident Debjani Das Roy alleged the situation had gone beyond maintenance issue and demanded an independent probe by cops and competent public-health authorities. “Multiple residents have fallen ill, including children and elderly residents, with some requiring hospitalisation and medical treatment,” said Das Roy.The residents have sought independent testing of water samples from the source, underground reservoirs, overhead tanks and residential outlets through an accredited laboratory. They have also demanded that all water-quality reports be disclosed to residents and that the management provide a written explanation of when the problem was detected.Residents have also demanded preservation of water-test reports, tank-cleaning and maintenance records, complaints, and relevant CCTV footage, besides adequate supplies of certified potable water to all affected households at the management’s cost until the regular supply is certified safe.“How many more residents have to fall sick before this is treated as an emergency?” Das Roy asked in the complaint, urging the police and the authorities to take cognisance of the matter.
