One-thirds of N Delhi water contaminated (Times of India 04 July 2012)

Drinking water supplied to one-thirds of North Delhi is unfit and can cause severe ailments, says a comprehensive report on water quality presented by the North Delhi Municipal Corporation. The report has details of water tests carried out in the last six months in North Delhi

There are two surveys — one done independently by the corporation and another done in collaboration with the Delhi Jal Board (DJB).
While the corporation’s survey found that 37% of samples were contaminated, the joint survey put that figure at 32%.
Statistics provided by the corporation showed 636 of 1,978 water samples in the joint survey were contaminated and could have caused hazardous diseases such as jaundice and hepatitis.
The samples were collected from all six zones of the North Delhi Corporation -- City, Civil Lines, Karol Bagh, Rohini, Sadar Paharganj and Narela — from January 1 to June 15 this year.
During the same period, the health department of the North Corporation collected 3,166 water samples of which 1,203 were found unfit for drinking. The report was presented in the House meeting of North Corporation on Monday.
The survey showed the water being supplied in Narela was of the worst quality.
In Narela zone, the joint survey team found 490 samples unfit for drinking as against 273 samples of clean water.
The number of unfit samples was higher in the corporation’s survey. It found 650 unfit samples out of the total 1,170 picked up randomly from different areas.
All water samples in this area collected between May 1 and June 15 failed the safety test.
“The water samples tested by the agencies contained bacteria, which could lead to ailments such as cholera, typhoid and jaundice,” said Mahender Nagpal, Leader of the House, North Corporation.
DJB CEO Debashree Mukherjee said the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) had been separately asked to verify the survey results.
“DJB does its own sampling, which shows that only 2-3 percent water samples are contaminated. Municipal corporations take samples during non-supply hours where local contamination may be found in the water. Whenever bad quality of water is reported, we immediately isolate the area and take action,” she said.