Dehradun’s tap water fails to meet standards, not safe to drink - Times of India

Dehradun: A recently-released survey report has revealed that the tap water supplied in several localities of Dehradun district do not meet the safety standards and is unfit for consumption. The survey, conducted by Dehradun-based Society of Pollution and Environmental Conservation Scientists (SPECS), tested water samples of 125 localities across the Dehradun district between June 10, 2020 and July 10, 2020.
The report says that the tap water supplied in 65% of the 125 surveyed localities across the Dehradun district has the presence of fecal coliform which is a major contributor in causing stomach diseases. The study also highlights that the amount of absorbed chlorine in the tap water was below the prescribed level in several localities. This can cause skin diseases, the report points out.
Dr Brij Mohan Sharma from SPECS told TOI, “The water contamination levels in these localities are alarming. The presence of fecal coliform indicates that people are consuming water which has the presence of waste from underground sewage. If the people continue to consume such poor quality water for a long time, it can result in severe illness as well.”
The study has further revealed that the tap water supplied in certain areas — including Rajpur, Johri village, Doon Vihar, Malsi, Vijaypur Road, DL Road, and Niranjanpur — have a high presence of hard water contents. Notably, hard water is also responsible for causing problems like hair loss, skin dryness, among others.
In more than 36 localities from where the water samples were collected, the absorbed chlorine levels were found to be below the prescribed norms. “If contaminated water is consumed regularly, one may become prone to Gastroenteritis, flu, diarrhoea, chronic fever, cough, sleep disorders, malaria, and dengue. A large number of poisonous substances enter our body through contaminated water affecting our health adversely. These poisonous substances in water prominently include cadmium, lead, mercury, arsenic and nickel added,” Dr Sharma.
The residents too have expressed their concern over the poor water quality of tap water being supplied in Dehradun. Vijay Kothiyal, a resident of Tilak Road area, said, “We are paying water tax to the government for providing us safe drinking water but what we are getting is not at all fit for drinking.”
Another resident from the Mobbeywala area, Imran Hasan, said, “We often get tap water which looks murkier and also has a foul smell. We have to clean it several times before consuming it.”
Meanwhile, Yashbir Mal, executive engineer at Jal Sansthan, said “We carry out tests to check the water quality at regular intervals and tests are conducted at our specialised lab. We cannot verify the quality of the tests conducted by any other organisation.”

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