Ravindra Khadtale, deputy city engineer (water) said: "From among 26,000 of water samples, 2,000 were found to be dirty and this was because of leakage or overhead tanks in societies not being cleaned for a long time.
The pollution control department of Thane Municipal Corporation has found (TMC) pollutants in 2,000 water samples collected from various parts of the municipal area. This test has proven that the water from these sources is not fit for consumption.
Ravindra Khadtale, deputy city engineer (water) said: "From among 26,000 of water samples, 2,000 were found to be dirty and this was because of leakage or overhead tanks in societies not being cleaned for a long time. Almost 90% of water supplied by TMC in the region is pure. Water is found to be affected predominantly in areas like Kalwa and Mumbra because of leakages."
Apart from Kalwa and Mumbra, water samples from a few more areas like Manpada, Uthalsar and Naupada have also shown pollutants and these samples are collected from many plush housing societies in these localities.
Furthermore, the deputy city engineer adds: "Although we do issue circulars before the monsoon to all housing societies to clean their overhead water tanks, in wake of this recent report, we will once again make sure that circulars are issued to remind housing societies to clean the tanks unfailingly. In most of the cases, the water tested positive of pollutants because tanks was not cleaned for a long."
Dr Alok Modi, a physicist from Kevalya Hospital, said, "Source water should be clean and in addition there should be periodic cleaning of water tanks, at least once or twice a month. TMC should also ensure to keep test water samples periodically."
"Consuming dirty water can lead to loose motions, typhoid, cholera and many other diseases. Housing societies should should also make sure that storage tanks are covered properly," added Dr Modi.
"Though there are many housing societies in the city which have taken annual maintenance contract (AMC) to clean the storage tanks periodically, there are a few that have not. Hence, the water quality deteriorates," said a source in the civic body.
"We will now conduct water testing more frequently and see that societies too go ahead with cleaning their storage tanks more often," said Khadtale.
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