The Hindu 26.07.2010
Water contamination is localised: HMWSSB
Special Correspondent
HYDERABAD: The cases of polluted water supply detected in the city are not widespread but localised in nature. “There is absolutely no cause for worry as it is not a general phenomenon,” said Water Board managing director M. Jagadeeshwar.
Reacting to reports in a section of the press, he told presspersons here on Saturday that the percentage of unwholesome samples found since January was only 0.32. During the month of June, the IPM tested about 1934 samples and found 23 to be unwholesome, which was just 1.18 percent. “In the huge network that we have, it is well within the tolerable limits,” Mr. Jagadeeshwar said trying to play down the controversy.
The water contamination was confined only to a few slums and was prevalent at the household level. Pit taps and defective household pipes could be the reason. On its part, the Board was maintaining the parameters of residual chlorine, pH, colour, turbidity conforming to the BIS IS 10500 norms of drinking water. “To say that the entire water is unwholesome is incorrect. We welcome criticism but it should not send out wrong signals,” Mr. Jagadeeshwar told media persons.
He explained in detail the external monitoring done by IPM, IHS and the HMWSSB to ensure water quality.
