Surat Municipal Corporation Under Scrutiny for Water Woes in Posh areas

Surat : The Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) is facing mounting scrutiny and criticism due to its failure to provide piped drinking water in the municipal ward number 20, particularly in the upscale Ghod Dod Road area.

For the past couple of months, residents in the walled city area had been vocal about the non-supply of potable drinking water, and now the problem has extended to the posh localities as well.

Residents in the Ghod Dod Road area have raised their concerns over the lack of water supply, and their plight caught the attention of Payal Sakaria, the leader of the opposition in the SMC. Payal Sakaria, along with leaders of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), including Mukesh Pasiyawala and Dhaval Pachchigar, as well as ward workers, visited the affected area in response to the residents’ complaints.

Upon arrival, residents shared their distressing experiences, highlighting that they have been compelled to visit relatives’ homes for bathing and even for obtaining drinking water. The situation has left them feeling as if they are begging for water. The little water that was supplied in the past three months was reportedly smelly and contaminated, and it has completely ceased for the past 10 days.

Opposition leader Payal Sakaria described the situation as “very serious” and criticized both the SMC authorities and the ruling party leaders for their handling of the crisis. She raised concerns over the mayor’s statements, suggesting that the mayor’s claim of no water problem in the city did not align with the reality faced by the residents. Sakaria questioned whether the mayor was misleading the people of Surat with such assertions.

After listening to the grievances of the residents, Payal Sakaria offered suggestions to the officials in an effort to resolve this pressing issue. The water scarcity has left residents in dire need of a solution, and the opposition leader’s intervention has brought renewed attention to the matter.

It’s worth noting that the city of Surat has been grappling with water shortages for several months, primarily due to the ongoing Surat Metro Rail project. Many areas within the walled city, including Chowk Bazaar, Soni Falia, Bhagal, Mughalsarai, Bhagal, Sagrampura, and Zampa Bazaar, have been severely affected by the lack of drinking water. The situation remains a significant challenge for both residents and local authorities.