Over quarter of city receiving chemical-laced water supply

Ludhiana: Over a quarter of the industrial hub is receiving chemical-laced water supply. Of the 80 water samples the municipal corporation collected from residential areas of the city’s all four zones over the past two months, 30 were found unfit for consumption. While 21 samples showed higher levels of nitrate, nine had selenium beyond permissible limit.
Even as the MC officials refused to name the areas that were receiving contaminated water, they stressed on the need to switch over from tubewells to canal-based water supply. “As many as 21 samples had nitrate between 80mg and 90mg against the permissible limit of 45mg. And nine samples showed high levels of selenium against the allowed limit of 0.1%. We are yet to ascertain the the exact cause behind it, as the samples were collected randomly from residential areas and not the industrial ones,” said a civic body official.
Another MC official said, “The test results are alarming. Not only is groundwater depleting, but its quality too is deteriorating. It is high time we should switch over to some other source of water supply.”
MC commissioner KP Brar said, “We are holding regular meetings with World Bank representatives to expedite Sidhwan Canal-based water supply. Another such meeting is scheduled for Tuesday.”
At present, water is supplied to the city through over 1,100 tubewells. The previous year, the National Green Tribunal had directed the civic body to look for alternative supply sources in the wake of depleting groundwater level and inefficiency of sewerage treatment plants in treating waste water.
“The water table is fast depleting. In summer, MC will face problems meeting increase in demand. Even as water is available at 120 feet at some places, it is not potable. And at other places, water fit for drinking is available at 600 feet. Around 10 years ago, it was available at 350 feet underground,” the MC official added.
Of 80 samples collected from residential areas, 21 are high on nitrate and 9 have selenium beyond permissible limit