Daijiworld Media Network - Puttur (SP)

Puttur, Jul 22: A novel scheme of testing the purity of water extracted from open wells and borewells before the same is supplied to the people has been implemented in the taluk. Under the scheme, water purity field test kits have been provided to each of the gram panchayats in the taluk.

There have been several complaints over the last many years about the water obtained from most of the open wells and borewells both in the city and rural areas being polluted and smelling of iron. The field test kits are being used to clear the pollutants from water sources of respective gram panchayats and to convert them into potable water.

These kits have been provided by the drinking water and sanitation department under the District Rural Jaljeevan Mission. By using these kits, members of the water and sanitation committee of each gram panchayat can check the cleanliness of the drinking water provided to houses and government buildings within their limits.

These kits help in finding out the presence of bacteria and chemicals in the water. These kits, now being provided to gram panchayats, are able to find basic level chemicals and bacteria alone. If there are high levels of various pollutants, water samples have to be sent to the water and sanitation department laboratory for being tested by experts there. Water from bore wells and wells are collected in bottles and then tested through these kits. For testing the cleanliness of water, five members from each gram panchayat (Anganwadi and ASHA workers) have been appointed. They collect water from the bore wells, bring the collected water to gram panchayats, and test the water by the help of kits. Assistant executive engineer of the department, Bharath, stated that already training has been provided in Puttur and Kadaba taluks.

Srikrishna, expert water and sanitation department, said that committees have been formed and members of the committees have been trained in testing water purity. He said that training to these members has already been given to committee members of eight gram panchayats in Puttur. The testing is done once in six months for houses and government buildings currently, he added.