Patna, June 24: Around 50,000 residents of ward number 67 under the Patna City area are being forced to consume contaminated water for the past four weeks.

The Patna Municipal Corporation (PMC) has not been able to supply drinking water as the water level at the pumping station at Kaimashikoh has depleted.

The worst affected localities include Lallu Babu Ka Kucha, Kurmi Tola, Humad Gali, Tehru Tola, Ghora Gali, Bakshi Maidan, Aaga Husain Ka Chouraha, Batau Kuan, Kaimashikoh, Haji Ganj, Chipi Tola, Choti Patandevi, Murcha Road, Bhitri Begampur, Thekipar and Patna Sahib station areas.

“The water coming out of the tap is yellowish and is full of dirt. Residents have been left without an option and are being forced to consume the water. Despite repeated complaints, no steps have been taken either by the administration or by the corporation,” said Vivek Dwivedi, a resident of Choti Patnadevi area.

He said only a few people, who have their own borewells are getting clean water. “Some of us get water from their houses while most of the people have to go to Patna Sahib railway station to get clean water. Others who cannot travel are being forced to consume the contaminated water,” he said.

“As the water level of the boring of water pumping station at Kaimashikoh has gone down, the water being supplied is contaminated,” said Guru Prakash, a resident of Bakhsi Maidan.

Even the PMC officials agreed that the situation arose after the water level at the pumping station at Kaimashikoh depleted. “The pumping station at Kaimashikoh is not functioning properly and that is what has led to this present crisis,” PMC city circle executive officer Shashank Shekhar told The Telegraph.

He claimed that tenders have been floated for the setting up of a new water pumping to solve this problem.

Residents, however, do not appear to be in a mood to wait for the completion of the process and have hit streets to draw the attention of the authorities concerned. Protests, rallies and dharnas have become the order of the day in this ward.

A group of residents of Lallu Babu Ka Kucha locality recently blocked the road near Paschim Darwaja Mor and disrupted vehicle movement for nearly eight hours protesting against contaminated water supply.

Residents of other localities too have adopted the same path. However, there have been no positive results yet.

The MLA from the area and road construction department minister Nand Kishore Yadav said the old boring has become faulty and the government has already sanctioned funds for setting up a new water pump for the area.

Meanwhile, expressing concerns over the supply of contaminated water, Nalanda Medical College and Hospital deputy superintendent Dr Santosh Kumar said: “Consumption of contaminated water may lead to diseases like jaundice, diarrhoea, cholera and dysentery.”

Dr Santosh said the residents should filter the water and boil it before using it for drinking purposes.

He, however, refused to share details whether the number of such cases had gone up, as most of the Patna City residents approach this hospital as it is close to their locality.