Valley’s ground water ‘very unsafe to drink’
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KATHMANDU, JAN 26 -
More than 80 percent of the ground water used for drinking teems with bacteria and other harmful microbes, according to National Academy of Science and Technology (NAST) officials.
Technical Officer Tista Prasain of NAST said the level of bacteria was counted at 300 colony forming units (CFUs) while testing the ground water in the valley. CFU is a method of counting bacteria in water, and it must be at zero level for safe drinking.
”The samples included the ground water being used for drinking purposes in hospitals, schools, drinking water consumer’s committees and offices,” said Prasain. “They contained enough bacteria to hit public health. Excessive amount of bacteria were detected in the water, even beyond the National Drinking Water Quality Standards 2005 and Implementation Guidelines.”
The report based on lab tests conducted in the fiscal year 2009-010 and till date reveal the existence of 46 percent iron, 38 percent ammonia, 34 percent turbidity and one percent nitrate in drinking water. “The report has shown 0.2 percent arsenic among all examined water samples,” said Prasain. Arsenic above 0.05 mg per litre is harmful for health.
Iron itself is not hazardous to health unless it exists along with certain kinds of bacteria, forming a smelly bio-film. The bacteria use the iron to survive, leaving behind a reddish brown or yellow slime, which is a secondary or aesthetic contaminant, experts say. Ammonia emits a foul smell and is the indicator of fertilizers or fickle pollution.
Lab officer Prasain said the report indicates that valley people must treat the water before drinking it. She suggested boiling, filtering or applying water purifying chemicals. “The people should not panic at the report. Nevertheless, all of us need to be careful for good health,” she said.
District Public Health officer Bishwa Raj Shrestha said water-born diseases such as diarrhoea, dysentery, typhoid and jaundice in the valley are noticed as the most common diseases in the valley. “The verification of cholera by Teku Hospital last summer also puts valley dwellers at risk next year,” said Shrestha.
Posted on: 2011-01-26 09:07
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