Water in some areas under the Mangalore City Corporation (MCC) is unfit for consumption, according to sample tests done by the civic body in the past six months. Two samples of tap water were also found unfit for human consumption.
The health department of the corporation tested 52 samples on public request. Of them, only 15 samples were found fit for drinking. The sources of samples were taps, wells and tanks.
A majority of the 35 samples were well water. Of them, 29 samples were found unfit for drinking. Of five tap water samples, two were found unfit for consumption.
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The samples were tested at the district laboratory under the Department of Health and Family Welfare, according to MCC Health Officer (in-charge) Sudarshan C.M. Dr. Sudarshan said bacteriological tests were conducted on the samples. According to district microbiologist Veena Vijayaraj, only basic H2S tests were conducted.
Some of the areas from where the samples were collected were Jeppu, Kankanady, Bolar, Kulshekar, Marnamikatte, Ashoknagar and Karangalpady.
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Dr. Sudarshan said wells have been found contaminated due to factors associated with urbanisation. In some cases people had allowed waste water to storm water drains, resulting in the contamination of underground water. In a few other cases people had covered wells without providing exposure to sunlight.
Dr. Sudarshan said that the consumption of contaminated water would result in severe gastroenterititis, stomach ache, dehydration and in some cases pus in the liver. He said in houses where samples were found unfit for drinking no such health problems were reported. He advised people to drink boiled water to avoid falling prey to diseases.