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Groundwater not always potable: Deccan Herald
Bangalore, Aug 08: If you think that only bottled water or aerated drinks are unsafe, read on. Fifty per cent of the groundwater in and around the City is not potable.
Bangalore, Aug 08: If you think that only bottled water or aerated drinks are unsafe, read on. Fifty per cent of the groundwater in and around the City is not potable.
A recent study conducted by the Karnataka Department of Mines and Geology (DMG), states that out of 918 water samples from 735 locations, water in 370 areas, in and around Bangalore, is not suitable for consumption. “Fifty per cent of the groundwater in and around the City is not potable as per the Indian standard-drinking water specifications,” says Mr M Basappa Reddy, director of DMG.
The report claims that samples drawn from Hebbal, R T Nagar, Gollahalli, Sanjeevini Nagar, Kempapura, Vijayanagar, etc are contaminated. “Most samples contain nitrate and iron much above the permissible levels,” points out Ms M V Shashirekha, chief chemist at DMG. The report reads that due to bad sewage system or no underground drainage in certain parts of the City, sewage water and industrial waste water percolate through the ground, contaminating ground water resources. The other causes mentioned are the application of chemical fertilisers in fields and the excessive usage of manures, that seep into the ground, polluting water. The samples were tested on the basis of the following parameters: physical, chemical, bacteriological, for pesticides and heavy metals. Most samples reveal high amount of iron and nitrate which can lead to hazardous health effects.
Excessive nitrate (beyond 50 mg/l) causes methaemoglobinemia (blue baby disease which converts red blood corpuscles blue) in children and proves carcinogenic for adults. High levels of nitrate were found in 278 samples. The reason for this excess concentration of nitrate has been attributed to land drainage, agricultural run offs, municipal waste water and leachate from garbage dumps that contaminate ground water. “Once nitrate is found in a borewell, it is very difficult to monitor its level because the effects stay for a long time,” notes Ms Shashirekha. Similarly, high levels of iron were also found in certain samples. “When a borewell is not used for a long time, it rusts and the water dissolves the iron,” says Ms Shashirekha.
Around 95 per cent of the rural area and approximately 40 percent of the urbanites depend on ground water for their domestic requirements. Unless the borewell premises are kept clean and waste water is treated, ground water pollution cannot be checked.
The report claims that samples drawn from Hebbal, R T Nagar, Gollahalli, Sanjeevini Nagar, Kempapura, Vijayanagar, etc are contaminated. “Most samples contain nitrate and iron much above the permissible levels,” points out Ms M V Shashirekha, chief chemist at DMG. The report reads that due to bad sewage system or no underground drainage in certain parts of the City, sewage water and industrial waste water percolate through the ground, contaminating ground water resources. The other causes mentioned are the application of chemical fertilisers in fields and the excessive usage of manures, that seep into the ground, polluting water. The samples were tested on the basis of the following parameters: physical, chemical, bacteriological, for pesticides and heavy metals. Most samples reveal high amount of iron and nitrate which can lead to hazardous health effects.
Excessive nitrate (beyond 50 mg/l) causes methaemoglobinemia (blue baby disease which converts red blood corpuscles blue) in children and proves carcinogenic for adults. High levels of nitrate were found in 278 samples. The reason for this excess concentration of nitrate has been attributed to land drainage, agricultural run offs, municipal waste water and leachate from garbage dumps that contaminate ground water. “Once nitrate is found in a borewell, it is very difficult to monitor its level because the effects stay for a long time,” notes Ms Shashirekha. Similarly, high levels of iron were also found in certain samples. “When a borewell is not used for a long time, it rusts and the water dissolves the iron,” says Ms Shashirekha.
Around 95 per cent of the rural area and approximately 40 percent of the urbanites depend on ground water for their domestic requirements. Unless the borewell premises are kept clean and waste water is treated, ground water pollution cannot be checked.