Youths on a testing mission to ensure safe drinking water

Nitesh always went by the maxim that if it looked clean, it probably was clean. It was only after he became a part of the project to test water quality that he became aware of exactly how dirty the water that he was routinely drinking was.

The 18-year-old is part of the youth user group, first set up in 2012 by Action India in Sunder Nagri, with support from WaterAid India. As part of the project, youths in the age group of 12-20 years are trained in water quality testing, where they learn about 11 types of tests.

"The water in my area looked clean, but it smelt. When I became a part of this project, I realised that looks are deceptive and that water also has a PH value, minerals, and other things," said Nitesh, who was 16 at the time he joined the group.

Under the project, first a particular community facing issues of water cleanliness and sanitation is identified, following which tests are conducted with a portable kit known as Jal Tara. A few members from the community are then trained in testing water.

The youth user groups guide the community members on steps needed to get clean water, in case the quality is not up to the mark. They demonstrate simple tests that people can carry out at homes to test the quality of water and store it safely. Action India also shares details of water testing by the youth groups through Jan Sunwais or public hearings with the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) officials for further action.

The parameters taken in to account to test the quality of water include temperature, coliform, flouride, residual chlorine, nitrate, iron, hardness, chloride content, ammonia, turbidity and PH.
In the first phase, areas including Seemapuri, Sundernagari, Vivek Vihar, Deepak Colony, Dilshad Vihar, Rajiv Camp, Indira Camp, Janta Mazdoor Colony, Chand Bagh, Harsh Vihar and Bhalaswa were covered.

In the second phase, coliform tests were conducted at places including Gokulpuri, Ramnagar, Jafrabad, Ashoknagar, and Nand Nagari.

"One of the major problems we encounter are the old pipes, which bring in a lot of dirt. Households can avoid this problem by turning on the motor at a higher pressure," Nitesh said.

"The aim of the exercise is to make communities aware of the quality of water they are consuming and to promote water purification through home-based treatments," said Devender, Coordinator of the project. Following these tests, the residents then share the quality report with the DJB at different platforms, such as World Water Day, Mohalla Sabha, and Jan Sunwai.

"As a result, the municipal corporations are providing liquid chlorine to people at a timely basis," Devender said.