PUNE: Amol Abhang (35) has to spend around Rs 1,000 a month to buy packaged drinking water “The tap water provided by the Alandi Municipal Council is polluted and not suitable for consumption. We use it for our domestic chores,” said the laundryman from the famous temple town of Alandi, about 25km from here.Like Amol, thousands of residents of Alandi have no option but to rely on packaged drinking water supplied by private players. “There are at least 100 such suppliers, who deliver jerrycans of 20-litre capacity at the doorstep of residents who can afford their service. They charge anything between Rs 20 and Rs 40 for a jar and collect bills every month. This has become a lucrative business,” Amol said.But what about the water quality? “There is no mechanism to check the quality of packaged water. Some people have complained about the quality. But they can’t do much beyond cribbing. The suppliers fill up the jars from locations in nearby villages and bring them to Alandi without treating the water properly,,” he added.Sanket Kale, a second-year engineering student in Alandi, said, “Who will solve the water issue here? Poor people are forced to drink polluted water, as they can’t afford to buy packaged water. Alandi is a famous pilgrim place. But the government has failed to provide the town with the basic necessity.”At present, the municipal council pumps water directly from the Indrayani flowing through the town. “Its water is not safe for drinking. We have asked people to use the water for other purposes,” said Samir Bhumkar , chief officer of the council.The Alandi Municipal Council recently advised residents of the town to boil tap water before consumption. Accordingly, notices were sent recently after the civic body observed poor quality of water.Oxygen level in the drinking water drawn from the river has reduced drastically due to the high level of hyacinth in the river. Due to the hyacinth, the river’s ecosystem was disturbed as fish do not get adequate oxygen. In fact, a large number of dead fish was found near the river’s banks a few days ago.Alandi is home to nearly 40 ‘dharmashalas’. Almost, every ‘dharmashala’ has its own water well. “The authorities can use this source of water effectively to meet the residents’ requirement. They just need to spend money on water filtration. Unfortunately, neither the municipal corporation and nor the corporators take our views seriously for reasons best known to them,” resident Vilas Kate said.The pipeline project from Bhama Askhed dam is yet to be sanctioned by the government. Municipal council officials said the Bhama Askhed option will not serve the purpose. “The Bhama Askhed project is controversial as the farmers are opposed to it. We don’t know how many years it will take to resolve it. It is need of the hour to explore other feasible options to find a solution to the water issue,” an official said.“It will be difficult for the municipal corporation to complete and maintain the pipeline project because of its skeletal manpower. The government needs to hire staffers to meet the future requirements. We don’t even have a sanitary inspector,” a senior municipal corporation official said.

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