Gurugram water unsafe for consumption: Report

GURUGRAM: The Gurugram Health Department ruled that the water given in the Westend Heights, DLF, Phase 5 is unsuitable for consumption, two days after 100 residents became ill. The Health Department’s report on the water samples, gathered today, explicitly said that the water was unsafe for drinking; however it did not specify any contaminant or pollution.

Dr Virender Yadav, Chief Medical Officer, Gurugram has said that the water is unfit, and we have reported it to the concerned authorities. He refrained from saying anything more on the cause or type of contamination. Meanwhile, the Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GDMA), which is the society’s principal water supplier, has shirked all responsibility and blamed the community for poor water quality. Following this incidence, it has also issued a directive for all societies to ensure water hygiene. It has ordered that all local governments, developers, and RWAs purify or chlorinate stored water before supplying it.

According to an official statement issued by the GDMA, the TDS (Total Dissolved Solids) value of water, supplied internally by the society, is higher than the TDS value of GMDA water, indicating that water from other sources has been mixed in. A survey of GMDA’s master water supply pipes was also conducted but no source of pollution was released. The reason for contamination could be polluted underground water from the mixing of borewell water. Additionally, the lack of disinfection of stored water before distributing it to people could be a contributing factor.

According to a senior health department official who spoke on the condition of anonymity, the mass infection was caused by bacterial infection along with excessive TDS. Residents of the society began falling ill two days ago. A child was hospitalised and around 100 residents complained of Diarrhoea. Following that, the municipal officials sampled and examined the water.