The Hindu : New Delhi News : Water contaminated: MCD

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Sunday, Jul 06, 2008
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New Delhi

Water contaminated: MCD

Bindu Shajan Perappadan

10 per cent of Delhi’s water is unfit for consumption

NEW DELHI: Make sure you boil or filter the water you drink. The Municipal Corporation of Delhi has found that on an average 10 per cent of the water in the city is contaminated and unfit for consumption.

Water contamination has been detected in the Capital’s Central Zone, Civil Lines, Rohini, Shahdara (South) and South Delhi areas.

Warning that all is not well with the water being supplied to the citizens, the Chairman of the Medical Relief and Public Health Committee of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, V. K. Monga, said over the weekend: “The water being supplied to residential areas has impurities. Water supply pipelines in the city often run parallel to and across sewage pipelines. When high pressure suction occurs, it allows sewage to be pushed into the water supply system.”

“Also water pipelines need to be changed every 25 years as otherwise there is the possibility of leakage and contamination. The pipes are also exposed to micro-leakage which allows sewage, bacteria and slug to entire the water supply system,” added Dr. Monga.

According to results of test conducted jointly by the MCD and the Delhi Jal Board between June 21 and 27, eight of the 85 samples collected from Central Zone were found unfit for consumption; 30 of the 108 samples from Civil Lines were found unfit; and 30 of the 570 samples lifted from Rohini were found contaminated.

Similarly in Shahdara (South), of the 162 samples, 36 were contaminated; while in South Delhi, of the 32 samples, 10 were found unfit.

Samples lifted from City Zone, Karol Bagh, Najafgarh, Narela, and Shahdara (North) and West Delhi were found to have no contamination.

Cause diseases

Delhi Medical Association member Dr. Anil Bansal said: “Water contamination causes gastrointestinal diseases, typhoid, intestinal worms, cardiovascular problems, excessive thirst, fatigue, muscle weakness and frequent headache and vomiting.

The general public need to be careful about the quality of the water they consume.”

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