Thousands
of people in the city, who either do not have Metrowater connections
and those who live in neighbourhoods where supply is infrequent, are
forced to consume impure water delivered by tankers.
If water from a tanker is poured into a clean glass and held up to light, chances are it will be off-colour and sedimentfilled. The water, which usually contains a host of disease-causing contaminants including fecal coliforms, is also likely to contain rust from tankers in which it is transported.
Too few of the hundreds of vehicles in the city have rust-proof coating or anti-corrosive paint on the inside of water tankers to prevent contamination. Residents of some localities allege that private operators use the oil to transport water.
Water contaminated by rust can be dangerous if a person has a wound in the mouth or food pipe or has a compromised immune system.
"Private tankers are supposed to add chlorine in the water and coat the interiors walls with bleach to prevent algae growth," said former director of public health and Indian Public Health Association state president S Elango. "Water suppliers don't follow these rules." Elango cites a cholera outbreak in Tiruvannamalai district, 70km southwest of Chennai, during an acute water shortage in 1985. "Many people there depended on private tankers for drinking water," he said. "Inspections later revealed interiors of the tankers were unhygienic and had contaminated the water." Elango says a 12,000-litre water tanker should use chlorine and 20g-25g of bleaching powder to prevent growth of algae.
Private operators supply water to apartment complexes, hospitals, hotels and other establishments in the city. Several customers complain that the suppliers draw water from borewells and open tanks and deliver it to residents without any purification.
Suppliers of drinking water must have a food business operator licence under the Food Safety and Standards (Licensing and Registration) Regulations, 2011. But the food safety department and corporation have stopped inspections for the licence and don't regularly test water samples.
Private operators flout colour coding rules as it's easier for them to dodge authorities. All tankers carrying drinking water should be painted blue to indicate as much, but very few are. This allows operators to claim that the water is meant for other purposes, like for use in construction.
A driver admits private operators deliberately do not make it clear how the water will be used. "It is easy to convince officials that the water is for construction," he said. Chennai Private Water Tankers Operators Association president H P S Sundaram denied that tankers are polluting drinking water. "We ensure that the water is clean and fit to drink."
If water from a tanker is poured into a clean glass and held up to light, chances are it will be off-colour and sedimentfilled. The water, which usually contains a host of disease-causing contaminants including fecal coliforms, is also likely to contain rust from tankers in which it is transported.
Too few of the hundreds of vehicles in the city have rust-proof coating or anti-corrosive paint on the inside of water tankers to prevent contamination. Residents of some localities allege that private operators use the oil to transport water.
Water contaminated by rust can be dangerous if a person has a wound in the mouth or food pipe or has a compromised immune system.
"Private tankers are supposed to add chlorine in the water and coat the interiors walls with bleach to prevent algae growth," said former director of public health and Indian Public Health Association state president S Elango. "Water suppliers don't follow these rules." Elango cites a cholera outbreak in Tiruvannamalai district, 70km southwest of Chennai, during an acute water shortage in 1985. "Many people there depended on private tankers for drinking water," he said. "Inspections later revealed interiors of the tankers were unhygienic and had contaminated the water." Elango says a 12,000-litre water tanker should use chlorine and 20g-25g of bleaching powder to prevent growth of algae.
Private operators supply water to apartment complexes, hospitals, hotels and other establishments in the city. Several customers complain that the suppliers draw water from borewells and open tanks and deliver it to residents without any purification.
Suppliers of drinking water must have a food business operator licence under the Food Safety and Standards (Licensing and Registration) Regulations, 2011. But the food safety department and corporation have stopped inspections for the licence and don't regularly test water samples.
Private operators flout colour coding rules as it's easier for them to dodge authorities. All tankers carrying drinking water should be painted blue to indicate as much, but very few are. This allows operators to claim that the water is meant for other purposes, like for use in construction.
A driver admits private operators deliberately do not make it clear how the water will be used. "It is easy to convince officials that the water is for construction," he said. Chennai Private Water Tankers Operators Association president H P S Sundaram denied that tankers are polluting drinking water. "We ensure that the water is clean and fit to drink."
Hi there, i read your blog occasionally and i own a similar one and i was just curious if you get a lot of spam feedback? If so how do you stop it, any plugin or anything you can recommend? I get so much lately it's driving me insane so any support is very much appreciated.
ReplyDeleterust remover bath