Dolara villagers drink water unfit for animals

Itrsquos a choice that no one should have to make But the fact is that residents of Dolara village in Mokhada taluka have two options before them either remain parched in the prevailing droughtlike condition or consume water that is unsuitable even for animals Most of them have opted for the latteru00a0A Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation BMC laboratory has detected presence of nitrate in samples collected from a well that is replenished by tankers fetching water to the village located 140 kilometres from Thane that is afflicted by water scarcity The test results establish that the water is unfit for human consumption and can result in a host of health problemsu00a0 UNFIT Dirty secret MiD DAY in its article lsquoWater may be unfit for human consumptionrsquo on April 27 had raised serious concerns about the quality of waterLocal authoritiesrsquo efforts to rush tankers to areas where there is severe scarcity are actually proving counterproductive as the quality of water being brought by tankers is usually not always verified In effect a lot of it is contaminated and filthy giving rise to a number of health problems like gastroenteritis on consumption The primary rural health centre in the area sees a number of cases of digestive and intestinal problems regularly and the reasons are obvious Dolara has a total of 300 dwellings occupied by a population of approximately 1400 to 1500 The only potable water sources here at the moment are the tankers that empty their contents in two wells mdash one inside the village and the other on the outskirts MiD DAY was present at the village a few days ago and we witnessed that minutes after the tanker water was poured into a well locals were jostling with each other for their share without even waiting for the mud and other impurities to settle down UNFIT Deadly cocktail Samples were collected from both wells and the same sent to the BMC laboratory at Dadar on April 26 for lsquocomplete water analysisrsquo testing On May 2 the laboratory concluded its analyses and submitted the findings copy with the newspaper wherein it pointed out that one of the two samples collected was unfit for human consumptionu00a0A laboratory analyst who did not wish to be named said ldquoOne of the two samples is unfit for human consumption because it contains brown and white particles and it has tested positive for nitrate Drinking this water will lead to health problems related to the stomach like diarrhoea and vomiting Consumption of this water by a pregnant woman is also not advisable as it will lead to serious health effects on the foetus This water is also unfit for consumption by vulnerable sections of the population like small children and old people As this water does not qualify the human parameters essential for safe consumption it can also be termed unsafe for consumption by animalsrdquou00a0 FIT ldquoThe said sample is of contaminated water This water is absolutely unsafe for drinking However it can be used for household chores like bathing washing and cleaningrdquo said a senior official attached to the laboratoryu00a0Speaking about the other sample which tested negative for nitrate the analyst said ldquoSample 1 is suitable for human consumption and can be safely used for drinking without treating the water further by any purification methodsrdquo ldquoI know the water is not potable and is harmful But I have no option but to drink it and even make my children drink it Dirty water is better than no water at allrdquo said Vanita Sawle a resident of Dolara According to the primary health centre doctor incharge Dr Rajesh Mhaske on an average they get 70 to 80 people daily on OPD basis for complaints like stomach ache loose motion and initial symptoms of gastro all attributable to the contaminated wateru00a0When contacted Santosh Gawli Dolara grampanachayat member said ldquoOur body has become immune to such contaminated water But since the last few days water tankers have stopped coming to the village causing serious concerns againrdquou00a0 ldquoOn Wednesday the villagers protested outside the collectorrsquos office and relented only after political leaders intervened and assured to do the needful by sending the tankers again Locals are agitated We have faced a lot of adversity and are prepared for any consequence if the administration fails to supply potable waterrdquo Gawli warned Vasai MLA and chief of Shramajivi Sanghatana Vivek Pandit said ldquoIt is a serious issue The villagers are already facing a drought situation and the unfit water that they are consuming may lead to a waterborne epidemic soon The local administration should refrain from emptying water into the wells directlyrdquo Experts had earlier suggested providing tanks to the village to store water so locals donrsquot have to depend on the squalid wells But the proposal was rejected by the villagers who felt it would lead to more brawls amongst people while trying to get their shareu00a0