Residents in rural areas and remote locations can now keep a close tab on the quality of water they use for daily requirements.
The Centre for Water Resources Development and Management (CWRDM) has launched a mobile water-testing laboratory that will help them monitor various water quality parameters.
The mobile unit, the first of its kind in Kerala, has been introduced with the support of the Department of Water Resources and National Rural Drinking Water Quality Surveillance Programme.
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The vehicle is equipped with a mobile incubator, photometer, petrifilms for testing bacteriological quality, and digital instruments to measure various parameters.
On Tuesday, the mobile lab was deployed at the Mahatma Gandhi College here in connection with a workshop on water quality management organised as part of the International Year of Water Cooperation.
Water samples collected from various schools in the city were tested at the unit.
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K.K. Ramachandran, Member Secretary, Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment, inaugurated the workshop. N.B. Narasimha Prasad, Executive Director, presided.
B. Mridula Nair, College Principal; P.S. Harikumar, Head, Water Quality division, CWRDM; Subhash Chandra Bose, Director, Communication and Capacity Development Unit for sanitation; George Chackacherry, Head, CWRDM sub-centre; and Ajithkumar, district coordinator, National Green Corps, were present.
Dr. Harikumar explained that the mobile laboratory would issue drinking water cards after testing the samples.
He said the unit would also recommend solutions for water quality issues.