The quality of water supplied by Uttarakhand Jal Sansthan at the residence of former Chief Minister Bhagat Singh Koshyari, Dehradun Mayor Vinod Chamoli, Mussoorie MlA Ganesh Joshi, District Magistrate Chandresh Kumar Yadav and Dehradun Superintendent of Police Ajay Rautela was found to be bad.
The Society of Pollution and Environment Conservation Scientists (SPECS) conducted potable water quality tests on residual chlorine, total coliform, fecal coliform in 90 different places in Dehradun city in the months of June and July, 2014. SPECS secretary Dr Brij Mohan Sharma disclosed the results while interacting with media persons on Saturday.
"The objective was to make the people aware of the water-borne diseases that originate from contaminated water and also to check the quality of water supplied by the Uttarakhand Jal Sansthan in the State capital," he added.
Sharma further said the perception that tap water is always fresh is not true. "Excess of chlorine in potable water is harmful for skin and hair. It can also cause ulcer. Chlorine can be very harmful for your body. If your potable water consists of fecal coliform it can cause diarrhoea, stomach ache, gastroenteritis and jaundice," he said.
The quality of supplied water was the worst in the following places due to presence of fecal coliform - Aketa Colony Gujrada, Jakhan Kanta, Inder Road, Old Nehru Colony, Badrinath Colony, Nehru Colony, Darshani Gate, Kargi, Rajpur Road, Kandoli, DBS Chowk, Rajender Nagar, Green Park, Tyagi Road, ONGC Colony and MKP Colony, according to Sharma.
The water quality was found worst due to excessive chlorination at places like Chukhuwala, Rajpur Road, Neshvilla Road, Kaulagarh Road, Kenal Road, Vikas lok, Paltan Bazar, Moti Bazaar, Police line, Doon Hospital, Curzon Road, MlA Hostel and Race Course, he added.
"According to the standards, coliform should not exceed 10 MPN/100Ml in potable water. All the ailments of stomach are due to the presence of fecal coliform in potable water. Fecal coliform should be zero in number, according to the standards.
The water contains excess of calcium which can cause joint pains, hair loss, dryness of skin and kidney stone. Chlorine is harmful if it is present in water. If the water is chlorinated it should not be used for 4 to 12 hours. Never use chlorine water to bathe, wash and clean vegetables. Chlorinated water can cause graying of hair, dryness, stomach ache and ulcer," he stated.
"People with stomach problems are advised not to use such water. Boil water for at least 12-15 minutes and filter it through a thin muslin cloth and use after cooling. Use salt for washing vegetables. Use potassium permanganate for storing water in the tanks," he suggested.
SPECS has been conducting potable water quality testing for the last 15 years and department of Science and Technology, Government of India has provided water-testing laboratory to SPECS, he added.