Questions Raised on Corporation’s Negligence; Water Quality Under Review at PHE Laboratory
Published on: November 03, 2025
By: BTNI
Location: Rajnandgaon, India
Growing public dissatisfaction has emerged across various wards of Rajnandgaon Municipal Corporation following complaints of contaminated drinking water over the past several days. What initially began as grievances from Basantpur Ward has now spread to multiple colonies and labour settlements, where residents are claiming that the water supplied is neither clean nor safe for consumption, posing a threat to public health.
The issue is particularly alarming as the city has previously witnessed outbreaks of diarrhoea and gastroenteritis linked to unsafe drinking water. Citizens fear that a similar situation may reoccur due to alleged negligence and lack of proper monitoring by the concerned authorities.
According to available information, three water treatment plants—having capacities of 17 MLD, 10 MLD and 27 MLD respectively—are currently operational and draw water from the Shivnath River near Mohara, approximately three kilometres from the city. These treatment facilities were developed under the AMRUT Mission at a cost of around ₹230 crore.
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The operation of these plants has been handed over to a private company, Tejas, though reports suggest that company staff have not been present at the sites for the past 15 days, leading to irregular water quality testing. Meanwhile, water sampling is being conducted at the Public Health Engineering (PHE) laboratory.
Opposition leaders and several local councillors have criticised the Municipal Corporation’s functioning. Santosh Pilley, Leader of the Congress Councillor Group, stated that improper use of alum and chlorine is affecting water quality. Residents have also alleged contamination due to pipeline leakages and lack of maintenance. Pilley has demanded that an FIR be lodged against the contracting company.
A formal complaint has already been submitted to new Collector Jitendra Yadav. However, citizens argue that the administration is prioritising State Foundation Day programmes and preparations for the expected visit of the Vice President, while public health concerns are being overlooked. Although Collector Yadav has recently shown active involvement in sanitation reforms, local representatives say visible action on water purification and distribution systems may take place only after the upcoming official events.
Meanwhile, the Municipal Corporation has stated that maintenance and cleaning work is underway and that the situation will be resolved soon.
