Angul: Water supplied by the public health engineering organisation (PHEO) as well as Nalco authorities is rich in chloride and iron content while its hardness is more than the permissive limit, a report said.
According to health officials, the chloride content and hardness in water can cause jaundice and kidney diseases.
Significantly, though the department is aware of the poor quality of drinking water, it doesn’t bother to take any corrective measures over the matter, the report said.
A few years ago, officials of the Orissa State Pollution Control Board had collected water samples from various areas of the town and conducted a laboratory test. The test report revealed the natural sources like rivers and nullahs were contaminated with chemical effluents released by industrial units of the town, which has a population of about 70,000.
Besides, drain water also played a role in polluting the water sources, the report said. The board, however, didn’t take any action in this regard. Though PHEO supplies water from these sources after some treatment, the water is still not suitable for consumption as the iron testing machine of the department has been lying defunct for several days, sources said.
It is alleged the administration has failed miserably in waste management. The demands of citizens for setting up a dumping yard and removal of waste on regular basis have fallen on deaf ears, locals alleged.
The residents are being supplied drinking water through 244 stand-posts. Besides, there are 300 tube-wells set up by the government. Still, residents of Rajkishorepada, Brahmandeipada, Hulurisingha, Shimilipada and a few other localities are deprived of drinking water. While the town needs 8.20 million litre of water per day, the department supplies only 5.70 million litre, PHEO assistant engineer Manoranjan Das said.
On the other hand, though the department claims the chloride content of water is under the permissible limit and is suitable for drinking purpose, the test reports found it exceeded the limits. Similarly, the hardness of water in Shimilipada and Hata Chhak area was found 468 per cent while the safety limit is 172 per cent. This can result in kidney ailments among people, it was learnt.
PHEO executive engineer Mrutyunjay Pani said efforts were on to repair the defunct iron treatment machine. The department is making arrangements to bring down the chloride content of water, he added. PNN
