Bacterial contamination in potable water supply in Janakpuri: CPCB to NGT
The NGT was hearing a plea of the Janakpuri A 1 Block Resident Welfare Association, which alleged the potable fresh water supply by Delhi Jal Board was contaminated with sewage, exposing residents to E. coli, hepatitis, urosepsis, typhoid, jaundice, cholera and even cancer.
On May 14, the NGT rapped the DJB for not taking expeditious action and summoned its chief engineer.
It had directed the CPCB to take samples from ten new and old locations each without informing any authority, including the DJB, and ordered the samples to be analysed expeditiously, particularly for faecal coliform and E. coli bacteria.
On May 30, a bench of NGT Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava and expert member A Senthil Vel said, "The CPCB has filed a report dated May 29, disclosing that 20 samples of tap water were collected from 20 houses, and six have failed the Bureau of Indian Standards showing the presence of total coliform and E. coli in these samples."
The bench cited the CPCB's report, which said, "Out of the 20 samples of tap water collected from 20 houses in A-1 block Janakpuri, Total Coliform and E. coli have been detected in six samples. The drinking water standards of the Bureau of Indian Standards - IS 10500:2012 prescribe that total coliform and E. coli shall not be detected in a drinking water sample."
The tribunal said the DJB's failure to remediate the serious concern of the residents was unfortunate.
"This reflects that the officers of the DJB are taking the matter in a very casual manner. They need to be sensitive to the problem being faced by the residents of that area for want of a supply of clean drinking water," the bench said.
The NGT was irked particularly given that DJB's chief engineer, Mukesh Kumar Jindal, had agreed to give an undertaking 'within three working days in the form of an affidavit that the problem will be remediated and it will be ensured that none of the residents get the supply of water having e-coli and total coliform".
The DJB also had to ensure the supply of potable water to the residents through an alternate source.
'If the undertaking given before the tribunal is breached, then the person giving the undertaking will be held personally liable,' the NGT said.
The CPCB was as a result ordered to take fresh samples and submit a report on the next hearing on July 16.
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