Koli Mohalla receives yellow, foul-smelling water for 15 days: Children suffer skin allergies, vomiting and diarrhoea; councillors and officials turn a blind eye

Yellow, foul-smelling and extremely dirty water has been supplied in Koli Mohalla in Surat's Adajan area for the past 15 days. According to local residents, when the water arrives in the morning, it remains so contaminated until 8 a.m. that even putting a hand into a bucket becomes unbearable.

An angry local woman said that despite repeated complaints, no corporator or official had come to inspect the situation. Residents are merely being advised to boil the water before drinking it.

Continued use of the contaminated water has created a serious health risk for young children in the area. A local girl has developed severe skin problems on her hand.

Her family said that when they took her to a doctor, the doctor clearly stated that the condition was a skin allergy caused by contact with dirty water. Along with skin problems, complaints of diarrhoea, vomiting and stomach pain among children are also increasing.

Homemakers are facing double the hardship, as the problem of dirty water has emerged during the festive season. Local women, expressing their distress, said that water is needed the most during the Diwali festival for cleaning homes and washing clothes, but the water coming from the taps has a strong foul odour.