Hyper-chlorination of water sources started

Kuldeep Chauhan

Tribune News Service

Shimla, February 12

Health officials today hyper-chlorinated the city’s water supply system. The National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune, in its report, had confirmed the spread of hepatitis virus in the system.

The Health Department and the Irrigation & Public Health (IPH) Department today added 0.5 mg per lt chlorine to disinfect the IPH water supply system and will continue to do so for the next seven days.

The officials said the biggest challenge was to disinfect all water sources in Shimla and Solan.

The health and IPH officials met the DCs of Shimla and Solan yesterday. Civic officials also attended the meeting held to find out a solution to the problem.

The NIV report has revealed that the hepatitis virus has infected private water tanks and Ashwani Khud. It stated that the sewage released from the Malyana treatment plant was contaminating the khud.

Additional Chief Secretary, Health, Vineet Chaudary said they had started hyperchlorination and the process would continue for a week.

“The Solan DC has installed free water ATMs for residents. They have been given 250 gm of bleaching powder to be added to the private tanks. Experts have advised them to drink boiled water,” he added.

Chaudhary said the Health and the IPH Departments would monitor the water supply and sewage treatment plants until the water samples passed the test.

He said they were putting in efforts to ensure that the end user got at least 1 per cent of chlorinated water.

“There is no other way to disinfect water sources. Residents will complain of stomach, but things will be fine in a few days,” he added.

When told that over-chlorination could be fatal, Chaudhary said it was being done for a week to make water potable. The residents should clean water tanks and consume boiled water.

He said the jaundice cases in Shimla and Solan had declined. “The water supply to both the towns is being monitored by testing water samples on a regular basis,” he added.