NEW DELHI: Delhi Jal Board vice-chairman Dinesh Mohaniya on Friday attacked the Bureau of Indian Standard (BIS) over its adverse report on water quality, saying it had placed “ill-crafted data in Parliament”.
This attack was after Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan released a BIS report which said water samples collected from 11 places failed quality tests on 19 parameters.
“Strictly following the SOP, we took water samples from nine places out of the 11 places from where BIS took the samples earlier. We couldn’t take sample from Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan’s house at Janpath while the house of Vinod Kumar from Sonia Vihar was found locked,” said a combative Mohaniya.
“Among the nine samples collected, eight — including that of Krishi Bhawan — were found fit for drinking. Only one sample taken from Geeta Devi’s house at Janta Vihar was found not satisfactory due to inadequate residual chlorine i.e. just one parameter.”
Water tests were conducted in three different labs on 31 parameters in Delhi, he said. “The results from the test categorically prove the serious procedural lapses occurred while BIS collected the samples earlier. Their credibility is eroded.”
The DJB vice-chairman even invited BIS officials to join an extensive exercise to collect and test samples of water from across the city.
“In the coming few days, the DJB will put out public notices and carry large scale collection of water samples. It collects 500 water samples daily from across the city and tests them to ascertain the water quality,” he added.
From now on, he said, the DJB will increase the amount of samples to be collected for next few days. “We welcome BIS officials to be part of this exercise. Whatever the results, their details will be made public. The BIS is trying to save its face as its credibility is eroded due to unwanted misadventure in collecting water samples and placing ill crafted data in Parliament,” Mohaniya asserted.
According to the DJB vice-chairman, the Board wrote to the central government seeking details of the modus operandi and action plan for the proposed joint committee to test water quality. “So far, we have not received any response (from the Centre).”