New Delhi: Very high bacteria contamination was found in the water being supplied to several houses in southwest Delhi’s Janakpuri, Central Pollution Control Board has submitted before National Green Tribunal. CPCB, on NGT’s order, collected water samples from 17 houses in the first week of Sept and nine of them had coliform or bacteria, with some having very high faecal levels.According to the CPCB report, submitted on Sept 14, the faecal coliform level at some houses was 1,60,00,000 units, which should be zero in drinking water. CPCB analysed the collected samples for bacteriological parameters — total coliform (TC), faecal coliform and E. coli — and free residual chlorine.Prior to the latest analysis, CPCB had collected samples from the area at least thrice in June and July. They also revealed the presence of both total coliform and E. coli, confirming that sewage was getting mixed with drinking water.Out of the latest 17 samples, total coliform and E. coli were not detected in eight samples. In two samples, TC was detected but the values were close to the lowest detection limit while E. coli was not found. In seven samples, both TC and E. coli were found above detection limits. CPCB stated that the drinking water standards of Bureau of Indian Standards-IS 10500:2012 prescribe that total coliform and E. coli shall not be detected at all in 100ml of drinking water samples.The residents welfare association of the block approached NGT in March with complaints of impure drinking water. In Aug, Delhi Jal Board informed the tribunal that a pipeline was being laid in the block after residents complained of contaminated drinking water for over five months. DJB said the work began on Aug 4 and would be completed within 60 days.DJB had claimed that two days after the samples were collected in July, it temporarily fixed the defects in the pipeline on July 22 while a work order for a long-term solution to provide clean water — laying down the 730-metre pipeline — was issued on Aug 1.
