DJB, municipal body cross swords over 'unsafe' water

Board says what it supplies is not contaminated, tests prove it

The Delhi Jal Board has refuted the recent claims of North Delhi Municipal Corporation that contaminated water is being supplied in some parts of north Delhi.

In a statement issued by DJB on Saturday, it said that reference to joint water testing by NDMC and DJB has not been corroborated by DJB zonal staff and no such exercise as claimed has been carried out in the presence of concerned DJB officers, nor have the results claimed been verified or shared with DJB.

“Reports about water contamination issues have been emanating from the North Delhi Municipal Corporation which appear to be motivated and incorrect. DJB is trying to ascertain the authenticity of the joint sampling, claimed to have been carried out by MCD,” said the statement.

On the contrary, 77 joint samples picked by DJB and the North Municipal body in the areas of Rohini, Pitampura, and Saraswati Vihar were found fit for drinking, i.e. a zero failure rate, it added.

Quoting the municipality’s claims that out of the total number of 3,387 samples lifted from north Delhi, total failed samples were 487 while only 20 have failed from the rest of Delhi, DJB said that it indicates that the failure rate for the rest of Delhi, excluding NDMC area is only .0056 per cent. This, it says, is enough to indicate that the report is not based on actual facts and appears to be highly biased.

“We wish to reiterate that water being supplied in the city by DJB, through its infrastructure, is potable and free of contamination.  An established mechanism set up by DJB ensures that the water supplied meets the BIS standards,” claimed Delhi Jal Board.

According to information, DJB lifts about 300 samples a day, but as part of increased surveillance for summer and monsoon months, the number of samples lifted have been increased to 450 per day.

These samples are lifted every day from various locations from all parts of the city, including from the consumers end, by the Treatment and Quality Control Wing (TQCW) which is an independent unit, headed by a director level officer. In addition, DJB also gets its water tested through an independent national scientific agency National Environment Engineering Research Institute (NEERI).