73% drinking water samples in F’bad fail chlorination test

Bijendra Ahlawat
Tribune News Service
Faridabad, December 3

A total of 73.42 per cent of the samples of drinking water supplied by the municipal corporation (MC) are non-chlorinated. The Health Department collected the samples from tubewells and water supply lines between January 1 and November 30.

Health officials termed chlorination as a mandatory measure to check the growth of bacteria and viruses. Civic body officials claimed that proper chlorination was being done at the point of bulk supply on a regular basis.

According to a report of the Health Department, officials did not find 1,605 of the 2,185 samples chlorinated. “Only 580 samples exhibited presence of chlorine in water,” said Dr Ram Bhagat, Deputy Chief Medical Officer and test cell incharge.

It was alleged that chlorinators installed by the MC at a majority of tubewells and pumps were either dysfunctional or had no chlorine. The samples were put to the orthotolidine test, in which the level of free and combined chlorine residue was determined.

Dr Bhagat said chlorination of piped water supply was important as it checked the presence of certain bacteria and viruses that could render water unsafe for consumption. Drinking untreated water could result in health disorders like cholera, typhoid and dysentery, especially in children.

Civic body Chief Engineer DR Bhaskar said water supplied from its tubewells was safe as chlorination was being done regularly at sources of supply like boosters. He pointed out that the samples were not lifted in the presence of MC officials.

He claimed that the samples could have been taken from tail ends, where chlorination effect could be the minimum. He said only surface water and stored water required chlorination and not underground water. The city has 1,450 tubewells and 75 booster stations for water supply.