Pune’s Drinking Water Quality Under Scrutiny Amid GBS Outbreak
Pune's Drinking Water Quality Under Scrutiny Amid GBS Outbreak
Renuka Suryavanshi
The number of Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) cases in Pune has exceeded 160 since its outbreak in January 2025 sparking fear among residents. Many are now testing their drinking water to ensure safety.
In response, Ketaki Sathe-Kulkarni, a member of the Sahakarnagar Nagrik Manch, took the initiative to test water quality in the Sahakarnagar area. She identified 17 locations, including municipal tap water sources, borewells, wells, and water tank filling stations. She collected 34 water samples—half sent to a private lab and half to a government lab—for testing. Funds for this initiative, amounting to ₹23,000, were raised through crowdfunding by local residents.
Ketaki works as Project Assistant at Oikos for Ecological Services, specialising in Nature Conservation, Habitat Analysis, Environmental Management Plans and many more.
“It was a difficult task to understand whether water we drink is coming from safe sources or not. That triggered the initiative of testing the samples. It took about a week’s time to identify the various sources, mapping the right source for the sample and also collecting it. The test results have now been released. While municipal drinking water is safe, it has high chlorine levels. Experts recommend boiling tap water before drinking, using UV filters, and avoiding storage in copper vessels due to potential health risks,” said Ketaki Sathe Kulkarni.
However, the findings for borewells and wells are concerning. All borewells, reaching depths of 150–300 feet did show presence of total coliforms, making them unsafe for drinking and household use. Similarly, all wells, including those at Dashabhuja and Satara Road, have bacterial contamination. One well near Fulora Ground was found to contain E. coli, indicating severe contamination, she added.
Now that the results are in our hands, the time has come to chalk out a plan and see how this contamination can be ruled out from its source. As many areas are dependent on borewell and well water to manage their requirement, it will increase with the summers around the corner. I shall soon be holding a meeting with experts from the field and come up with a plan of action, she informed.
Residents are urged to maintain cleanliness in their surroundings and pressure authorities to address waste disposal issues. The contamination has now reached 300 feet underground, highlighting the urgency of action.
Authorities and residents must work together to find long-term solutions, including improving waste management and enforcing strict hygiene measures to prevent further contamination.
