Tamil Nadu - Tiruchi   

UNICEF launches water quality management programme

TIRUCHI: With a view to ensuring hygienic supply and consumption of potable water, UNICEF has launched a ‘Community-based water quality management and sanitary surveillance’ programme in 30 select village panchayats in Krishnagiri district, UNICEF Water, Environment and Sanitation Officer for Tamil Nadu and Kerala, A. Devaraj has said.

The programme, which aims at community-participation, envisages imparting training to the village panchayat and clerks besides two local volunteers in each village for conducting tests for ascertaining the quality of water. A water quality kit, designed by the Indian Institute of Technology-Chennai, has been supplied to each village panchayat, Dr. Devaraj told reporters here recently.

The training would also ensure proper operation and maintenance of water-related infrastructure — right from hand pumps and pipelines to supply lines. The training would focus on the yardsticks for ascertaining the contents of the water being supplied or to be supplied to the villagers. The comprehensive kit would facilitate the villagers in selecting the best among all the available sources for public consumption.

Turning to Kerala, Dr. Devaraj said that UNICEF would organise a mass awareness programme on bacteria-free consumption of water in that state. Blessed with six million open dug-wells, Kerala was rich in ground water table but bacteriological contamination was a threat to health and hygiene. A State-level two-month study on bacteriological contamination of water would be carried out by UNICEF in Kerala by the month-end.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Air India announces change in schedule
“Increased energy efficiency leads to economic growth”
Mettur level
UNICEF launches water quality management programme
University blamed of justifying violations
Villupuram–Tiruchi chord line electrified, trial run conducted
Farmers opt for precision farming
Medicinal plants to be raised in 84 hectares
“Raise stipend”
“Confidence must for victory”
FP shops checked
BHEL receives Rs.170-cr. contract from CPCL
Tiruchi today

Copyright © 2009, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu