The recent deaths of children due to contaminated drinking water in Indore have sent shockwaves across the country and raised urgent questions about the safety of urban water supply systems. However, despite this tragic warning, the condition of Ranchi’s water supply continues to deteriorate, placing thousands of residents at serious health risk.
In many parts of Ranchi, drinking water pipelines pass directly through open drains, broken roads and filthy surroundings. Due to seepage and leakages, sewage and drain water are mixing with the pipelines, contaminating the water reaching households. Reports from both the Municipal Corporation and the Drinking Water and Sanitation Department confirm that water supplied in several localities is not fit for consumption, yet neither permanent solutions nor regular monitoring systems have been put in place.
Ranchi’s urban water supply system was established between 1960 and 1965. Engineers state that the average lifespan of water pipelines and supply plants is about 50 years, a limit the city’s infrastructure crossed long ago.
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Water supply plants at Hatia and Gonda dams have also exceeded their functional life. As a result, frequent breakdowns, burnt motors, damaged filter beds and technical failures have become routine, directly impacting both water quality and supply.
Experts warn that the ageing pipelines now suffer from extensive rust, cracks and leakages, allowing contaminants to enter the system with ease.
Approximately 8 lakh people depend on Ranchi’s urban water system. When the network was designed, the city’s population was minimal. After becoming Jharkhand’s capital, Ranchi’s population surged to nearly 22 lakh, while the water infrastructure failed to keep pace.
In major localities such as Azad Colony, Pahari Mandir, Madhukam, Kokar, Namkum, Chutia, Doranda, Harmu, Hinoo, Ratu Road, Piska More, Pandra, Dhurwa, Singh More and Kadru, pipelines continue to run through contaminated drains, creating a constant risk of bacterial and sewage contamination.
Across main roads and residential areas, pipelines are visibly laid inside open drains. Locations such as Bahu Bazar (St Paul’s School Gate), Kokar (Don Bosco School Gate), Bariatu Cheshire Home Road and Doranda Kusai Colony have suffered from this problem for years.
At Kokar’s Madan Dhaba area, a pipeline has remained inside a drain for nearly a decade. Residents there admit they no longer use the supplied water for drinking, relying instead on bottled water.
Medical experts caution that contaminated water poses the greatest danger to children, elderly people and pregnant women. The risk of diseases such as diarrhoea, typhoid, hepatitis and other water-borne infections increases significantly under such conditions.
The Indore tragedy has demonstrated how deadly such negligence can become.
A serious lack of coordination persists between the Ranchi Municipal Corporation and the Drinking Water and Sanitation Department. While staff are assigned for pipeline inspection, their role is largely limited to registering complaints.
Residents complain that the control room set up for pipeline repair frequently goes unanswered, despite official claims of 24-hour operation.
In Indore’s Bhagirathpura area, sewage mixed with the Narmada water pipeline, causing severe contamination. So far, 14 deaths have been officially confirmed, while Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya has acknowledged 15-16 fatalities. Around 1,400-1,500 people were affected, with 250 hospitalised. Even after ten days, the clean water supply has not been fully restored.
Ranchi now faces a similar danger if immediate corrective measures are not taken, including replacement of old pipelines, removal of lines running through drains, systematic cleaning of water towers and strict quality monitoring.
The Drinking Water and Sanitation Department claims water from the Rukka plant is tested daily at two locations. However, there is no testing after the water reaches the towers or while moving through distribution pipelines.
There are 22 water towers supplying the city, and pipeline inspections usually occur only after complaints are lodged.
Executive Engineer Chandrashekhar Kumar stated, “The lifeline of Ranchi’s urban water supply system has ended. We are managing through continuous repairs. Although potable water is supplied from the plant, construction activity and damaged pipelines allow soil and contaminants to enter before the water reaches homes.”
Until permanent solutions are implemented, health experts advise:
-Boiling drinking water
-Using water filters
-Straining water before storage
Complaint Helplines
-Drinking Water Department: 8863016796
-Municipal Corporation: 9934051832