Diarrhoea outbreak in Punjab: 50% water samples fail safety tests; illegal connections, faulty pipelines blamed

Frequent outbreaks of diarrhoea during monsoons in Punjab has been linked to potable water contamination.

A state-wide assessment of water samples collected during the current monsoon season has revealed that 50 per cent of water samples have failed in several districts. Moga district topped the contamination chart, where 35 out of 45 water samples (77.7 per cent) were found unfit for drinking. Pathankot followed closely with 66 per cent of its samples deemed unsafe. Similarly, over 50 per cent of water samples failed safety standards in Ferozepur, Faridkot, Patiala, Mansa and Jalandhar.

In Patiala district alone, the outbreak has already claimed five lives, including a woman and a child. Health experts and civic authorities attribute the recurring crisis to poor water quality, aging infrastructure and lack of enforcement against illegal water connections.

Alarmingly, no water sampling has been conducted in major districts like Amritsar and Bathinda, leaving public health officials in the dark about whether residents are consuming potable water.

One of the primary causes identified is illegal water connections in densely populated urban colonies. Leaks in these pipelines often lead to mixing with sewerage water. A Municipal Corporation official explained, “In many cases, underground pipelines are punctured. The use of high-powered pumping sets increases water pressure, which causes sewer water to be sucked into the pipes, contaminating the drinking supply.”

Former Patiala Mayor Sanjiv Sharma Bittu offered another perspective. He said that reckless road drilling for laying fibre optic cables has damaged water infrastructure. “In major and old cities like Ludhiana, Amritsar, Jalandhar and Patiala, the government lacks proper maps and site plans of water and sewerage lines laid by PUDA, Improvement Trusts, and even those in illegal colonies that have now been regularised. Approvals were granted without due diligence,” he alleged.

Negligence is also rampant in public institutions. In multiple random surveys, water samples collected from schools and government offices failed safety tests, raising concerns over the health of children and public servants.

A senior Health Department official said, “Until illegal connections are checked and punitive action is taken against violators, such outbreaks will continue. Civic bodies must act decisively.” He added that in the last five years, over 12 people have died and more than 800 have fallen ill due to similar diarrhoea outbreaks — most victims belonged to low-income households.

Public health experts argue that a lack of political will and continued apathy from civic and public health officials have allowed the problem to worsen year after year.

“Unless the water and sewerage departments act responsibly and illegal practices are discouraged, such outbreaks will keep recurring — costing lives and endangering public health,” an expert warned.