PCB Survey Confirms Faecal Contamination in Indore’s Groundwater
The survey was conducted as a part of the exercise to locate the source or sources of contamination
Bhopal: A survey by the regional Pollution Control Board (PCB) of Madhya Pradesh in Bhagirathpura and nearby areas in Indore has found contamination of their groundwater.
Water samples collected from some tube wells in these areas have found presence of faecal coliform, clearly suggesting groundwater contamination in these areas, a senior officer of the regional PCB told this newspaper on Saturday, unwilling to be quoted.
This indicates the extent of water contamination in these areas, the officer said.
According to him, 50 samples were collected from the Narmada supply line and tube wells in Bhagirathpura, where contamination of water claimed lives of several people and hospitalization of many others, and the nearby areas have tested positive for faecal coliform, contamination beyond drinking water supply line, in these areas.
The survey was conducted as a part of the exercise to locate the source or sources of contamination.
Although officially the death toll due to water contamination in Bhagirathpura has been put at eight, the Madhya Pradesh government has released financial assistance to the families of 18 deceased people in the area.
Meanwhile, a study has revealed that a meagre allocation of 25-30 percent has been made in the budget of Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC) for drinking water provision and sanitation in Indore, chosen as the cleanest city of India for multiple consecutive years in the Swachh surveys.
In 2021-2022, drinking water provision and sanitation received an allocation of Rs 1,680 crore out of the annual budget of Rs 5,135 crore of IMC.
In 2022-2023, of the total budget of Rs 7,111 crore, an allocation of Rs 1,850 crore was made for the drinking water supply and sanitation by the civic body.
The area received an allocation of Rs 2,100 crore and Rs 2,319 crore out of the total annual budgets of Rs 7,473 crore and Rs 8,320 crore in 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 respectively.
For 2025-2026, the IMC has earmarked Rs 2,450 crore for the drinking water provision and sanitation out of its proposed annual budget of Rs 8,236.98 crore.