DC Shikha allays fears over water contamination

Mysuru: The district administration on Friday said that the water supplied to Mysuru is safe even as it asked experts to check the quality of water distribution points.
Following a study by National Institute of Engineering (NIE), there were concerns about the safety of water being supplied by Mysuru City Corporation.
DC C Shikha discussed the issue with NIE team that conducted the study and collected details.MCC commissioner C G Betsurmath, deputy commissioner (development) Suresh Babu, Vani Vilas Water Works executive engineer L N Anand were among those who attended the meeting.
The study has found that water samples tested in the city had phthalate contamination, which the team said is becoming a major threat to Mysurueans. "Contamination of groundwater due to the entry of sewage was observed at many places. Borewells present near open drains carrying sewage have shown severe contamination. Groundwater in industrial zones of Mysuru is contaminated with a variety of chemicals. Phthalates, among the most widely used industrial chemicals, are extensively used in formulations of pesticides and plastics," it had noted at the end of two-year research on water quality with a focus on phthalate contamination in different water sources.
Post-graduate students and two faculty members of the department of civil engineering at NIE had conducted the study funded by Technical Education Quality Improvement Programme (TEQIP), a World Bank-MHRD initiative. Samples of drinking water were collected from surface and groundwater sources within the city. The sample locations included residential areas of Kuvempu Nagar and Gokulam, commercial areas like Irwin Road and Hootagalli Industrial Area. The samples were also collected from Kabini and Cauvery rivers, the two main surfaces sources of drinking water to the city.
The DC, however, allayed fears, saying that the water supplied in the city is safe. Shikha said that the use of plastic is contaminating water sources and directed the local bodies to curb the use of plastic, like how MCC has done since mid-March. "Residents should change their lifestyle and cut down the use of plastic," she stated.