80 per cent water samples fail potable test in city

Karam Prakash

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Tribune News Service

Patiala, January 7

The Health Department’s report indicates that residents in home district of Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh are at a high risk of being affected by water-borne diseases.

According to the Health Department, 80 per cent of the samples have been found unfit for drinking. Of 78 samples collected by the Health Department, 63 failed potability test. Officials said majority of water samples, which failed the test, contained bacteria.

Assistant Health Officer Dr Sukhminder Singh said, “Majority of water samples collected from different sources had bacterial contamination. The number of samples, which failed quality test was higher as they were collected during an outbreak of water-borne disease.”

He said, “We issue directions to improve water supply through chlorination or any other corrective measure. We once again check the sample to ensure if water is potable or not after taking corrective measures.”

Patiala MC Commissioner Poonamdeep Kaur said she would ask the executive engineer to look into the sample report. She said, “The civic body will collect fresh water samples and will take measures accordingly.”

Last year around 70,000 units of water were supplied and approximately Rs 15 crore was generated by the Municipal Corporation in 2019.

Apart from the MC, water samples of the Department of Water Supply and Sanitation (DWSS), residential areas and government schools (which have own tubewells) also failed quality test. Of 54 samples of the DWSS, 34 were non-potable.

It is pertinent to mention that two persons had died while hundreds had fallen ill due to diarrhoea in Rajpura block in 2019.

Sukhminder Singh, Superintending Engineer, Department of Water Supply and Sanitation, said, “We have already taken measures to improve water supply. Apart from the Health Department, we also test water samples to keep a tab on quality.”

According to data, 40 per cent water samples failed quality test in residential areas. Out of 144, 57 water samples were found

non-potable.

Unfortunately, 29 per cent of water samples collected from government schools failed quality test. Water was also found unfit for drinking at anganwadi centers.