Contaminated water pose threat at 75% govt schools

Water contamination is a big issue at schools in the district and a recent laboratory report only confirms the worst fears.

Of the samples taken from 44 schools in the district, only 11 have been declared fit for drinking.

So, students at as many as 75% of the schools have effectively been drinking contaminated water for months.

Besides other impurities, the water also contained traces of bacteria. The source of water in all these schools is the submersible pump.

The health department had taken these samples and sent these to the microbiology lab of Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) for testing.

District epidemiologist Dr Anil Verma said, “The report of these water samples has been sent to the deputy commissioner, district education officer (secondary) and the DEO (elementary), so that precautionary and preventive measures can be taken.”

Diarrhoea outbreak at Omaxe Plaza site resulted from water contamination.

A water sample taken from the Omaxe Plaza construction site on the Pakhowal Road has also been reported unfit for consumption.

Interestingly, during the diarrhoea outbreak in the third week of August, authorities had claimed that unhygienic food led to the disease.

However, district epidemiologist Verma claimed, “The previous samples from the site did fail the test. The health department later took more samples and these have passed the test.”