BUDGAM: The Water Works Division Srinagar today issued a clarification in reference to a recent video circulated on social media regarding polluted and unsafe drinking water from the Doodhganga water treatment plant.
In a statement issued here, it was given out that the mandate of the Public Health Engineering Department is to provide safe and wholesome i.e, potable drinking water to the general public and the same practice is being followed in letter and spirit at Doodhganga water treatment plant (WTP) as well which caters to the entire uptown area of the Srinagar City.
The raw water source at the plant is 18km long, 600mm dia gravity line called Nauhar line whose headworks are situated at Surasyar Chadoora and takes-off from Doodhganga Nallah (Kanir Khul) and the Bottom Lift Station situated at Kralpora from where raw water is being pumped to the treatment plant located on the higher contour.
During peak season most of the raw water requirement is fulfilled from the Nauhar line itself and very minimal water is being lifted from the lift station. However, during the lean season, raw water from both the Nauhar line and lift station is fed to the treatment units. Furthermore, 80% of Raw Water for Doodhganga WTP is being supplied by Nauhar Nallah which is free from Coliform bacteria & other impurities.
Treated water at the plants complies with the set standards for drinking water as prescribed by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). Daily tests for treated water are carried out at the plant and the results are uploaded on the IMIS Portal which are accessible and can be viewed by the general public. Water from the plant is supplied to more than 5 lakh people and no health issues with regard to drinking water is being reported from anywhere and the question of supplying contaminated water to the consumers does not arise at all.
All the treatment processes viz. Sedimentation, Clariflocculation, Filtration and Disinfection are strictly followed at the plant. The purification of water supplied from the treatment plant is carried out as per the standard practices/procedures and quality parameters of the treated water are ensured to conform to those of drinking quality standards of WHO and Indian standards IS 10500 / CPHEEO Manual.
Water is supplied to the consumers only after the in-house water testing laboratory confirms the quality parameters of the treated water as per the prescribed limits.
This in-house water testing laboratory also recommends that changes be made to the flow levels of water depending on the silt load of water for better efficiency.
Random sampling and testing are done at consumer points so as to ascertain the quality of water being received by the consumers. These tests are also uploaded on the website of the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation monthly.
The water from the treatment plant of Doodhganga prior to its supply to the consumers is tested for the following parameters i.e., Colour, Odour, Taste, Turbidity, Alkalinity, Acidity, PH, Total Chlorides, Total Solids, Residual Chlorine, Coliform Qualitative Test.
While the mandate of the PHE department is to supply safe and potable water facilities to the general public, the discharge of the liquid waste into the Nallah is to be checked through concerned agencies as per the statutory obligations. This sewage load getting in the Nallah water shall only increase the treatment cost of water and shall in no case affect the quality of treated water being supplied to the consumers.
The notion as if raw water from DG Nallah is supplied to the consumers is strongly refuted. The status of the health of DG Nallah and the water supplied from the treatment plant to the consumers are two different and separate issues. Had such contaminated water been supplied to the consumers there would have been cholera outbreaks on a daily basis. The Public Health Engineering Department is committed to providing safe drinking water to consumers through WTPs.
Being a responsible citizen, one should desist from spreading such false information amongst the masses.
