Most of Bengaluru groundwater not potable

With Cauvery phase II delayed most of the city still depends on groundwater. But the presence of nitrate, iron and flouride above permissible levels is a worrying factor.

Over hundred families in Aatmajyothi Nagar in Nayandahalli are drinking toxic water, with nearly 12 times the acceptable nitrate levels, from borewells. "The permissible limit of nitrates per litre of water is 45 milligram. But in the underground water in Nayandahalli, the nitrate level is 554 milligrams per liter, which is very high. It can cause various health hazards," said M V Shashirekha, water researcher and former official of the mines and geology department.

Pic: Sankar C G

There is a further shortage of safe drinking water due to delay in the completion of the Cauvery Fourth Stage Second Phase water supply project, leaving people with little choice but to drink contaminated groundwater.

Residents complain that protests have not made any difference. "We protested in front of the BWSSB office in 2005 as the borewell water we have been consuming causes joint pain, vomiting, skin problems and other health hazards," said Seethamma, a resident of Aatmajyothi Nagar.

The BWSSB installed pipes in the area in 2006 with an assurance of immediate water connection, but the residents are yet to receive drinking water supply.

Test results from various localities

Locality

Nitrate, Iron and Flouride levels

Permissible limit

Sanjay Gandhi Nagar and Old Yelahanka

335 mg nitrate / litre

45 mg / litre

Bellandur

5.32 mg flouride / litre

1.5 mg / litre

Bidarahalli

4.49 mg flouride / litre

1.5 mg / litre

Kariammana Agrahara

48.5 mg iron / litre

5 mg / litre

Vidyaranyapura

39.5 mg iron / litre

5 mg / litre

Study finds high nitrate levels

The situation in Aatmajyothi Nagar is not unusual in Bangalore. A recent study done by Shashirekha of various parts of the city revealed excessive amounts of nitrate, fluoride and iron in groundwater.

The places of study included , Anjananagar, Bellandur, Bidarahalli, Chatram Road, HBS Layout, Hoodi, Kariammana Agrahara, Nagasandra, Nayandahalli, Old Yelahanka, Sanjay Gandhi Nagar, Santhammanahalli and Yeshwantpur.

"All the people here have joint pains. Doctors are saying it is because of adulterated water," said Manjunath from Yeshwantpur. "If we keep the water overnight, a white coating appears on it," he added.

BWSSB says wait for Cauvery 4th phase

"We can provide water to them from Cauvery Fourth Stage Second Phase. Because of some technical issues, the work got delayed," said Yashanth B, junior engineer at BWSSB. "We will finish the work soon and will provide water supply in Aatmajyothi Nagar and in other places by December."

This article comes to Citizen Matters as part of an arrangement with Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media (IIJNM). Versions of this article originally appeared in The Oberver and http://thesoftcopy.in/

 

Comments:

  1. Soundcloud Reposts says:

    I couldn’t resist commenting. Well written!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Similar Story

Lok Sabha 2024: Know your MP – Gopal Shetty, Mumbai North

An established politician and a popular figure, MP Gopal Shetty has courted controversies as well as got people's support.

Name: Gopal Chinayya Shetty Constituency: Mumbai North Member of Parliament, Gopal Chinayya Shetty, 69 has been representing the area that falls under Mumbai North constituency in various capacities. First, he worked as a local corporator for three terms since 1992 and later, went on to become Mumbai’s deputy mayor. After that he rose to the state assembly from the Maharashtra legislative assembly from 2004 to 2014.  Since then, Shetty has been representing the Mumbai North constituency for two Parliamentary terms. In 2014, Shetty defeated Congress’ Sanjay Nirupam by polling in 70.1% of the voteshare by getting 6,64,004 votes as against…

Similar Story

Civic participation essential for effective BMC budget, say experts

In absence of elected representatives, holding the BMC accountable for planning and implementation of the budget is crucial.

A month after the BMC announced its budget for the fiscal year 2024-25, experts called for greater citizen participation in the planning and implementation of the budget. Not only is the BMC the richest civic body in the country, but also this year they have announced the highest budget ever at nearly Rs. 60,000 crore. Secondly, elections have not taken place after the term of the previous elected officials ended in March 2022. The Municipal Commissioner, appointed as the administrator, has been at the helm of the civic body's functioning for two years now. The corporation was put under an administrator…