Water samples fail quality test in Ludhiana

Kuldip Bhatia

Ludhiana, October 30

It is official now. Persistent complaints of residents of Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar, a colony of the Ludhiana Improvement Trust (LIT) on Pakhowal Road that contaminated water was being supplied to them for the past over three weeks now bears an official stamp with the Water Testing Laboratory in the Department of Microbiology at Punjab Agricultural University declaring three samples of water as ‘unsafe’ and non-potable.

Responding to the complaints of the residents, teams of the Health Department had taken water samples from taps in House Nos. 108, 114 and 137 in the E-block on October 22, 2020. The analysis report sent by the lab to the District Epidemiologist (dated October 29) has stated that water samples were unsafe as bacteria, faecal coliform and e-coli microorganisms were present in all three samples.

As a follow-up to the contaminated water supply being provided to the colony, the Civil Surgeon has written official letters (on October 29) to the Commissioner of Municipal Corporation, Chairman of the Ludhiana Improvement Trust and the Deputy Commissioner, along with copies of the test report, for further necessary action and remedial measures.

The MC and the LIT authorities have been specifically asked to intimate the health authorities after rectification of the fault so that fresh water samples could be taken and supply of safe drinking water be ensured to residents of the colony.

Meanwhile, the aggrieved residents, including Arvind Sharma, Pran Bhatia, Amarjit Singh, Balraj Chopra and Jaspal Singh Takkar, have lodged a complaint with the Principal Secretary, Local Government, Punjab, that they were being supplied contaminated water (apparently mixed with sewerage discharge) for the past over three weeks and several residents of the colony had fallen sick with diarrhoea, dysentery, fever and other gastro-intestinal ailments. They have sought immediate redressal of the issue which was exposing the residents to grave health hazards.

Ludhiana Improvement Trust officials claimed that staff of the Punjab Water Supply and Sewerage Board which had been assigned the task of supply and maintenance of water supply and sewerage in the colony had found a fault in the water supply line and it was being attended to.

Many fall sick due to contaminated water

Aggrieved residents have lodged a complaint with the Principal Secretary, Local Government, Punjab, that they were being supplied contaminated water (apparently mixed with sewerage discharge) for the past over three weeks and several residents of the colony had fallen sick with diarrhoea, dysentery, fever and other gastro-intestinal ailments. They have sought immediate redressal of the issue. The MC and the LIT have been asked to intimate the health authorities after rectification of the fault so that fresh water samples could be taken and supply of safe drinking water be ensured to residents of the colony.