Pune Residents At Risk As 393 Water Samples Declared Unfit For ConsumptionÂ
Pune Residents At Risk As 393 Water Samples Declared Unfit For Consumption ( Representational image )
Pune: A concerning report has revealed that drinking water in several parts of Pune is unsafe, putting public health at risk. During May and June, over 22,000 water samples were collected from various locations across Pune district. Out of these, 393 samples were found unfit for drinking, according to the report from the State Public Health Laboratory.
The contaminated samples include areas under the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC), as well as rural regions.
According to the state’s monthly water testing report, in May, 22,821 samples were tested in Pune, and 192 were found contaminated — approximately 0.8%. Of 2,812 rural samples, 103 (3.66%) were contaminated, while in urban areas, 89 out of 20,009 samples (0.44%) were found unsafe.
In June, the situation worsened. Out of 22,433 samples collected, 261 (1%) were contaminated. Of the 3,048 rural samples, 149 (4.89%) were found unfit, and in urban regions, 112 out of 19,385 samples (0.58%) were contaminated. Although the number of samples collected in June was slightly lower, the proportion of unsafe samples increased.
Due to contaminated water, there has been a significant rise in waterborne diseases, as confirmed by the health department of the municipal corporation. In May, 911 cases of acute diarrhoea, 12 cases of dysentery, 7 of hepatitis, and 16 of typhoid were reported. In June, the number rose to 1,226 diarrhoea cases, 12 hepatitis, and 17 typhoid cases.
The health department has advised citizens to boil or filter drinking water. Additionally, local governing bodies like gram panchayats and municipal corporations have been urged to maintain cleanliness of water sources.
