Small tube-wells sans chlorinators

Tribune News Service

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Ludhiana, June 7

As the Municipal Corporation claims the chlorination of water in a right way in entire city, there are a number of water tube wells in Ludhiana which lacked chlorinators. With summers on peak, the diarrhoea cases are being reported at various hospitals.

Social activists have demanded from the government to ensure testing of water being supplied by the civic body and installation of chlorinators at all tube-wells in the city.

According to information, there are around 1,000 tube wells in various wards of the city. An RTI activist Rohit Sabharwal said the chlorinators were still unavailable at a number of tube wells in city. He further said that many diarrhoea cases are being reported at various city hospitals.

“There is a need to carry out survey of tube wells. Provision of chlorinators should be ensured at all such wells to prevent people from water borne diseases,” he said.

“There are around 725 big tube wells, while remaining are small ones. The chlorinators have been installed at 450 tube wells. The water supply pipes of all tube wells where chlorinators are available and other tube-wells are interconnected. Thus, chlorination is being done in proper manner in entire city”, said Rajinder Singh, MC Superintending Engineer.

“We can’t install chlorinator at small tube wells which have been installed in open at streets or parks. The chlorinators have been installed at only those tube wells which have been installed in chambers. If we install chlorinators without any chamber, there is a possiblity that somebody may misuse it,” he said.

A former superintending engineer of Punjab Water Supply and Sanitation Department, Jaswinder Singh said chlorine is added in water as disinfecting agent. “The chlorination is required for disinfection of water. In case, if sewer water gets mixed in water supply line due to any leakage, chlorine kills bacteria in the water. It should be checked whether the amount of chlorine is added in required manner in the water being supplied”, he said.