Step away from the tap if you feel thirsty to drink water in your home. New research has shown that Bengaluru tap water is unsafe and has failed to meet safety parameters during a test carried out in laboratories. The silicon city is amongst the 21 big cities in India to have the worst supply of tap water.
Bengaluru tap water unsafe
Shocking but true, the cities like Jaipur, Dehradun, Bengaluru, Chennai, Chandigarh, Thiruvananthapuram, Patna, Bhopal, Guwahati, Gandhi Nagar, Lucknow, Jammu, Delhi, and Kolkata have failed in the water sample test.
Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) had collected water samples from 14 out of 21 cities where 85% of the cities water quality was found to be below par. In Bengaluru 10 different samples were collected from different areas and unfortunately, none of them met the safety parameters.
The only city which topped the chart is Mumbai where tap water was found safe for drinking. Hyderabad and Pune were amongst the cities where only one of the tap water samples failed the test. Both were placed second in the list followed by Ranchi and Raipur.
Unaware of the situation
Unaware about the incident, Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board Chairman Tushar Girinath had no idea about the sample test being conducted. He said, “I have no trace about any survey being conducted, nor do I remember from which part of the city the water samples were used. I was notified about the survey results but I’m uncertain who directed it. I cannot give any remarks on it as of now.”
“We have been working on the task to carry out sample tests to sensitive people and agencies concerned about people’s fundamental right to get safe drinking water,” said Union consumer affairs minister Ram Vilas Paswan.
All 10 samples failed the test
Meanwhile, in Bengaluru, all 10 samples missed in five parameters like turbidity, total hardness, chloride, Boron and Coliform, while all nine samples in Chennai failed in 10 quality parameters, the researchers explained.
“None of the samples brought from 13 of the state capitals: Chandigarh, Guwahati, Bengaluru, Gandhinagar, Lucknow, Jammu, Jaipur, Dehradun, Chennai, Kolkata- met with the requirements of the safety standards,” said Paswan.
In the current study, a radioactive substance test was eliminated. Additionally, free extra chlorine was excluded since it is relevant only when water is chlorinated and a minimum limit has been directed for it, the ministry said.
“Stringent actions cannot be taken as the quality standards for piped water at present are not mandatory. Once it becomes, we can take action,” Paswan added.
