Threat of water contamination

Tiruchi Corporation officials checking chlorination level in water at Indra Nagar in Tiruchi.
| Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

Tiruchi Corporation has stepped up steps to prevent water contamination amid the ongoing monsoon in the city.

With the city receiving substantial rainfall in the past few days, several residential areas were inundated. With streets were flooded and groundwater tables rising, threat of open wells and borewells getting contaminated looms.

To prevent outbreak of waterborne diseases, teams of officials and workers have been told to inspect the water supply network, collect water samples, chlorinate the water, and monitor the chlorine level regularly.

“Normally, about .5 ppm (parts per million) of chlorine is added to it. But now 1 ppm of chlorine is added to the water for disinfecting. The drinking water pipelines and pit taps are being cleaned and super chlorinated with up to 3 ppm of chlorine to prevent contamination,” said M. Vijay Chandran, City Health Officer.

As the quality of water might deteriorate post-rainfall in the city, people have been advised to boil and filter drinking water before consumption, eat fresh home-cooked food, and avoid cold food and food with artificial colours such as candy. The public is being asked not to step in places where there was water stagnation to prevent spread of infectious diseases.

As fever and diarrhoea cases tend to surge after rainfall, the civic body has brought the congested and low-lying residential areas under health surveillance. Special fever camps are being conducted at 18 urban primary health centres every day. Apart from that, health camps are conducted in every ward, particularly in vulnerable areas. People were screened for fever, cough, and cold, and medicines were provided accordingly.

“Issues relating to water contamination are being fixed. Officials have been testing the quality of water regularly, and sustained efforts are on to improve the quality of water,” Dr. Chandran added.