Drain water also potable in Bhopal:Tests done in seconds by untrained staff; Bhaskar’s reality check in 6 wards

Even the drain water in Bhopal is being declared fit for drinking. This is not an allegation but an admission that emerged during water testing conducted by municipal staff at ward offices. During a test that took barely 15 seconds, dirty drain water was certified as ‘pure’. The findings indicate that incidents like Bhagirathpura in Indore could occur in any ward of Bhopal at any time. Dainik Bhaskar conducted this reality check during the weekly water hearing on Tuesday. Reporters visited six ward offices in the city to examine how water purity was being tested and who was responsible for conducting these checks. The situation was alarming across locations. Timekeepers and peons were found carrying out water tests, resulting in even foul-smelling drain water receiving a clean chit. Why were water hearings introduced? Recently, 28 people died in Bhagirathpura, Indore, after consuming contaminated water. Taking serious note of the incident, Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav ordered water hearings to be held across the state every Tuesday. Under this directive, 11 parameters are to be tested during hearings, including colour, taste, chlorine, and TDS levels. In Bhopal, water hearings are being conducted for two hours every week in 85 wards. Ward 70: Only chlorine tested, water declared safe At the Ward 70 municipal office in Punjabi Bagh, water testing responsibility rests with employee Sanjay Navle. At noon, Bhaskar reporters presented water collected from a drain flowing in front of the office. Sanjay used a water quality field test kit but tested only for chlorine. Two drops of chemical were added to 10 ml of water. Within 15 seconds, the water was declared potable, despite a noticeable foul smell. A similar process was observed in two other ward offices, where only chlorine levels were checked. Ward 44: Timekeeper conducts test, complaints dismissed In Subhash Nagar (Ward 44), timekeeper Varun Vijayvargiya and worker Laxminarayan were conducting water tests. Resident Abdul Haseem arrived with a complaint, stating that the water smelled bad and was turbid. He said his entire family had fallen ill after consuming it. Despite this, officials tested only chlorine and declared the water fit for drinking. When questioned about the smell, Varun said they only check chlorine levels and send samples to a laboratory only if water appears excessively dirty. He added that only two complaints had been received that day. Ward 60: Drain water cleared, officials shocked later In Ward 60, Avadhpuri, Supervisor Ajay Patel and Waterman Rajkumar tested water brought by Bhaskar reporters, which was collected from a drain in Punjabi Bagh. They also declared it potable. When informed that it was drain water, both appeared shocked. When asked if they would drink it, they hesitated. One said, ‘If I had not known it was drain water, I would have drunk it.’ Complaints continue across the city Bhaskar’s investigation across five wards revealed that fewer than 10 complaints had been recorded over the past two weeks. Many residents were sent away after chlorine testing, despite visibly dirty water. In Ward 68, residents of Ayodhya Extension complained that drinking water pipelines pass through sewage lines. Despite repeated complaints, no action has been taken. The supply tank has reportedly not been cleaned for over 18 months. Water in Prem Nagar is so dirty that visibility through a glass bottle is poor. Similar complaints exist in BHEL and Karond areas. Ordered 11 tests, but not implemented Following the Chief Minister’s directive, 11 general tests and three additional bacterial parameters, including E. coli, were mandated. These include tests for colour, taste, pH, hardness, calcium hardness, magnesium hardness and TDS. However, on the ground, most wards are conducting only chlorine tests. Untrained staff handling public health responsibility Experts state that drinking water testing must be done by trained personnel, such as chemists or laboratory assistants. However, timekeepers, peons, supervisors, and daily wage workers are being assigned this responsibility. This issue directly concerns public health, yet proper technical staff are neither deployed nor supervising the process effectively.