Well water quality to be tested in flood-hit areas

The district administration on Thursday said that most flood-hit houses had been cleaned up and were fit for occupation. 

Initiative by PCB and Haritha Keralam Mission on September 8 and 9

The State Pollution Control Board (PCB) and Haritha Keralam Mission will jointly test the water quality in wells in flood-hit areas in the district on September 8 and 9.

The Local Self Governments Department, Food Safety Commissionerate, and the Kerala Water Authority will participate in the initiative. Water in wells that were chlorinated as part of post-disaster cleaning work will also be tested.

Accordingly, water in 16,232 wells in areas falling under one flood-affected municipality and panchayat in six districts will be tested on a pilot basis. Chengannur, Thiruvalla, Vaikkom, North Paravur, Chalakudy and Kalpetta municipalities and Thalavadi, Ranni, Angadi, Thiruvarppu, Kalady, Mala and Padinjarethara panchayats will be covered in the first phase. The PCB will supply kits for water testing, which will be carried out by volunteers of National Service Scheme units in each district under the supervision of the panchayat or municipal authorities and peoples’ representatives. Volunteers have been trained as a prelude to the exercise.

Volunteers will have to upload details on a dedicated mobile app created for the purpose. The results will be published on the PCB website as well, besides sending them to panchayat secretaries and owners of wells.

A decision on follow-up examinations and quality assessment of well water in the affected areas will be taken at a meeting to be held at the Ernakulam guest house on September 10. Minister for Local Self Governments A.C. Moideen will chair the meeting.

Cleaning

Meanwhile, the district administration on Thursday said that 99.50% flood-hit houses had been cleaned up and were fit for occupation.

Panchayat Deputy Director K.V. Malathy said that out of the 1,75,415 affected houses in the district, 1,74,548 had been cleaned up. The remaining 867 houses are either unoccupied or in a dilapidated condition.

All schools have been cleaned up, while 98.68% of public establishments and 82% of wells have been sanitised. The cleaning drive was completed with the help of agencies like the Haritha Keralam Mission, Suchitwa Mission, employees of various departments, and volunteers within and outside the State. like Maharashtra, Punjab, and Odisha.

Removal of waste, including toilet waste, and other sanitation work are under way in the district under the aegis of the Haritha Kerala Mission and Suchitwa Mission. Panchayat Secretaries have been asked work in tandem with Health officials to check the outbreak of epidemics.