The New Indian Express 20.12.2010
1,947 water sources unsafe in Gulbarga: Report
GULBARGA: The quantity and quality of drinking water the citizens get is an indicator of development.The findings of Gulbarga Zilla Panchayat Engineering Department paint a bleak drinking water scenario. A shocking revelation is that 1,947 drinking water sources of the tested 6,442, were found unsafe in a survey conducted from November 20 to 29.
Though samples from 6,442 water sources, including 5,118 borewells, 1,258 open wells and 66 surface sources, was completed on November 29, works like testing, compiling reports and preparing volumes were completed on Saturday, said MH Bhimakkanavar, Executive Engineer.
He told Express that the work of collecting and testing samples were outsourced to the Chemistry Department of Gulbarga University under the supervision of Prof Biradar with the help of 18 chemists.
As per the report, 133 samples contained more than the permissible content of PH Chemical, 378 samples were found hard to drink, 43 samples have more than the permissible content of Chloride, 554 samples were found with more than permissible content of Fluoride, 838 samples were found with high content of Nitrate in Gulbarga district and only one in Aland taluk had more than permissible content of Iron.
The survey found high content of Fluoride in the samples of Sedam (156), Chittapur (137) and Gulbarga (104), above the permissible limit. In Jewargi taluk, 452 samples contained high Nitrate content.
Of the 6,906 borewells in Gulbarga district, 1,789 were defunct and of the 1,577 open wells, 318 were defunct. "Handpumps, mini water supply and piped water sources require flushing and yield testing and quality testing has to be done once again to get the accurate Litre Per Capita Per Day (LPCD)," the report said.
