Drinking water in Mangaluru safe, says Mayor Harinath

Mayor Harinath said the water one drinks at home or in hotels/restaurants in the city is fit for consumption.

He said the recent tests of 28 water samples collected at different places in the city have proved negative to the presence of coliforms bacteria.

Addressing a press conference with MLAs J R Lobo and Mohiuddin Bava here on Friday, he said the water is potable and citizens need not panic.

Former minister Krishna J Palemar had recently released a copy of reports to media stating that out of the total 26 different places in Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) limits from where water samples were collected, high-level coliform bacteria have been confirmed in the water collected at Katipalla Masjid, Government Hospital, Surathkal, Chilimbi, Bondel, Pandeshwara and Ashoknagar. “There is no truth behind the statements of Palemar,” the mayor said.

“About 98% of the water samples collected proved to be potable by the test results. The city corporation had collected water samples from 68 places and sent them for testing at Fisheries College labotarory and district surveillance unit laboratory in Mangaluru. The reports of 28 samples have arrived. The presence of coliform bacteria was found in 2% of the samples and the issue has been sorted out.

“The coliform bacteria were found in the water samples collected at six places, where the underground drainage works were in progress. There are all possibilities of water getting contaminated with seepage in water pipelines. All the leaks have been identified and plugged.

“Coliform bacteria were found in the water samples collected at Krishnapura Vishwanath Temple, Katipalla-Krishnapura Second Block Masjid, Krishnapura 7th Block and Padupadavu area. All the problems have been sorted out by the MCC within 24 hours,” Harinath claimed.

Palemar had stated that the water collected from Government Hospital in Surathkal was contaminated with coliform bacteria, especially fecal coliform. However, mayor said that the MCC does not supply water to the Government Hospital in Surathkal as it has its own source of water.

Noting that the MCC supplies 36 lakh gallons of water from Thumbe vented dam to Mangaluru city in two 18 MGD pipelines, the mayor said the water is purified at various stages before it reaches the houses. The MCC takes utmost care to ensure that water is purified and chlorinated before its supply, he claimed.

Harinath clarified that the MCC collects water samples once in every two to three months for test. If citizens find water to be contaminated, they can call the MCC helpline 0824-2220344/306/303. The MCC will make arrangement for the immediate collection of sample for test, he added.

Lobo said Palemar has tried to spoil the image of Mangaluru. Had there been any contamination, the city would have been plagued with cholera. It is true that some manholes in Surathkal area have collapsed. The manholes have been set up using laterite stones instead of concrete mixture.

A sum of Rs 55 crore would be utilised for rectifying the missing links of the sewer lines, repair of old UGD systems, and construction of approach roads in Surathkal area, he added.