Eight of 113 water samples in Ggm fail quality test

The DC said the samples were collected from two hotels located in sectors 28 and 63, borewells located in two housing societies along the busy Sohna Road, and from four schools situated in Dhankot, Farrukhnagar, Pataudi, and Wazirpur

Gurugram: A total of eight out of 113 drinking water samples collected by the state health department in May failed to clear the quality test, officials aware of the matter said on Sunday. They said the samples had traces of E.coli and these were collected from private and government schools, hotels, housing societies, GMDA’s boosting station, Haryana Roadways area, RO water plants and residential colonies supplied by borewells.

Soon water samples from public places like railway stations, bus stands, market areas, in Gurugram will also be tested, said officials. (HT PHOTO)

Soon water samples from public places like railway stations, bus stands, market areas, in Gurugram will also be tested, said officials.

Deputy commissioner Nishant Kumar Yadav said that the health department has launched a special drive for water sampling. He said that the contaminated water samples were identified at a variety of locations, which underscores the widespread nature of the issue. Yadav also pointed out the critical importance of this campaign, which aims to safeguard public health by identifying and addressing sources of contaminated water.

“To prevent illnesses from contaminated water, the health department has launched a special water sampling campaign. So far, 113 water samples have been collected from various locations including hotels, restaurants, schools, housing societies, and other places, with eight samples failing the quality tests,” he said.

The DC said the samples were collected from two hotels located in sectors 28 and 63, borewells located in two housing societies along the busy Sohna Road, and from four schools situated in Dhankot, Farrukhnagar, Pataudi, and Wazirpur.

This initiative is a proactive measure taken by the health department to ensure that the drinking water across the city meets safety standards and does not pose a risk to public health, said officials.

Yadav said the diverse range of sampling sites demonstrated the comprehensive approach of the campaign to cover as many potential sources of contamination as possible. “By addressing water quality issues in both commercial establishments and residential areas, the health department aims to reduce the incidence of waterborne diseases and improve overall community health outcomes,” he said.

Dr Virender Yadav, chief medical officer (CMO), Gurugram, said that the risk of waterborne diseases increases during this time of the year. “Clean water is as essential as clean food. Contaminated water can cause ailments such as diarrhoea, cholera, nausea, and hepatitis. The sampling initiative aims to curb these diseases. Among the samples which did not clear the quality tests, two were from hotels, two from housing society borewells and four from schools,” he said.

He added that the hotels, schools and housing societies had been warned and told to improve the drinking water quality. “If samples fail again, strict action will be taken by the health department. We have urged citizens to carry clean water when leaving home and avoid drinking water that they do not carry from their homes. Boiling and then cooling the water before drinking is advisable,” he said.