At a time when cholera cases are being reported from different parts of the city, three water samples collected by the district health department from New Chander Nagar and one from Government Primary School, Chander Nagar, have failed quality tests.
Suspecting spread of waterborne diseases in areas situated in the vicinity of the polluted Buddha Nullah, NGO Mahatar Sathi Jagriti Manch led by social activist Keemti Rawal, has written to the Punjab State Human Rights Commission seeking intervention and slammed the municipal corporation (MC) for failing to supply potable water despite collecting hefty user charges.
Water samples were collected from MC taps at two houses including Rawal’s house and a handloom store in New Chander Nagar and the government primary school on the complaint of the NGO in mid-July. The tests were conducted by department of microbiology, Punjab Agricultural University.
As per the reports, Coliform organisms were recorded at 460 at the school and a house in New Chander Nagar, while it was 240 in the sample collected from Rawal’s house and at 150 in the sample collected from the handloom store. E-coli was also detected in all four and the experts termed them as “bacteriologically not safe”.
Residents rued that the ground water in the areas around the Buddha Nullah has been badly contaminated due to pollution in the nullah and the failure of authorities in providing potable drinking water is taking a toll on their health.
{{/usCountry}}Residents rued that the ground water in the areas around the Buddha Nullah has been badly contaminated due to pollution in the nullah and the failure of authorities in providing potable drinking water is taking a toll on their health.
{{/usCountry}}Rawal said, “Cases of cancer and water borne diseases are rising in the areas along the nullah as the ground water is contaminated. Further, deteriorating condition of water supply lines also results in water contamination due to leakage. But, the authorities are not paying heed to the problem, due to which we have sought the intervention of human rights commission. We will also take legal action against the civic body so the MC is charging user charges from us, but it has failed even to provide potable drinking water.”
MC superintending engineer Ravinder Garg said, “The MC has not received any report regarding the water samples from the district health department. Also. we are unaware about when and from where these samples were collected as the MC teams were not taken along. I will direct the staff to inspect the area and necessary steps will be taken to provide potable water after receiving the report from the district health department.”