NEW DELHI: The raging political controversy over the Centre’s report on the quality of water in the city showed no signs of abating on Thursday, with Delhi Jal Board (DJB) vice-chairman Dinesh Mohaniya claiming that the samples collected for testing from many of the 11 locations were found to be ‘dubious’. The Centre’s report stated that of all the samples from across the country that were put to test, the ones collected from 11 Delhi locations fared the ‘worst’.
Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan shared the damning report, triggering a massive political uproar. Mohaniya, also an Aam Aadmi Party MLA, said, “We’ve collected fresh samples from the same 11 locations and are currently in the process of subjecting them to rigorous tests. The tests would take at least 48 hours after which we’ll put the report in public domain.” “However, what’s interesting to note is that the report cites an instance involving a Lok Janshakti Party member, who never before complained of any water problem, and two bogus addresses. This shows that the report is nothing but a ploy to mobilise a smear campaign against the government,” Mohaniya said.
The DJB also claimed that third party audits conducted by the Centre-run National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) and the BJP-ruled MCDs, in the recent years, also found the city’s drinking water, in 97 per cent of cases, to be ‘satisfactory’ as per standards set by World Health Organisation (WHO). The BJP and other Opposition forces have been using the Centre’s report as a stick to beat the Kejriwal government with.
The AAP conducted a reality check in the same locations, as did this newspaper, and the respondents said they had no issue with the water quality. “Delhi has a population of 2 crores. I don’t see the rationale in making a holistic assessment of the city’s water quality based on testing samples collected from just 11 locations. Neither the range nor the details of findings of individual samples are mentioned in the report.
It seems the standard procedures weren’t followed. It erodes the institutional credibility of the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) and its assessment of the quality of potable water in the city,” Mohaniya said. Meanwhile, the BIS, on Thursday, claimed to have collected a sample from the house of Deepak Rai, who earlier told a news channel that no sample was taken from his residence. BIS officials claimed to have the call details and the security entry made the team, which took the sample.