Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, May 6: Observing that water quality monitoring is not being done properly in Jammu and Kashmir, the Union Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation has sanctioned two State level and one regional drinking water testing laboratories for the State. These state-of-the-art laboratories would become operational within next six months.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that while discussing the National Rural Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP) Annual Action Plan for 2014-15 financial year in a meeting with the officers of Jammu and Kashmir’s Public Health Engineering Department in the recent past, Pankaj Jain, Secretary, Union Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation pointed out that water quality monitoring was not being done properly in the State.
Thereafter, in a separate meeting with Chief Chemists/WSSO Directors convened by Joint Secretary (Water) of the Union Ministry, discussion was held on setting up of State level water testing laboratories with the Central funding in Jammu and Kashmir.
Though the Union Ministry norms permit establishment of one State level drinking water testing laboratory in each State yet in case of Jammu and Kashmir the Union Ministry has sanctioned two State level laboratories—one at Jammu and another at Kashmir keeping in view the peculiar situation of the State. Moreover, the Ministry has also sanctioned one regional laboratory for Ladakh considering extremely difficult climatic situation in the region, sources said.
In response to a question, sources said that the State level laboratories would primarily focus on analyzing of emerging water quality parameters such as heavy and toxic elements, pesticides, chlorine by-products etc while as regional laboratory will mainly focus on bacteriological contamination.
When contacted, Commissioner Secretary, Public Health Engineering Department, Dr Pawan Kotwal confirmed that Union Ministry has accorded special treatment to Jammu and Kashmir by granting two State level and one regional level drinking water testing laboratories.
In Jammu, the State level laboratory would be established at Jal Bhawan in Narwal area while as land for the establishment of same at Srinagar would be identified very shortly. “These laboratories will play crucial role in providing clean drinking water to the people as sophisticated machinery and trained manpower in these laboratories would conduct all specialized tests of the water”, he said in response to a question.
Dr Kotwal disclosed that in-service refresher courses for departmental engineers besides training to the villagers in water quality testing would also be organized in these laboratories.
According to the Union Ministry guidelines, the State level laboratories would have five technical divisions—Wet Chemistry Lab, General Instrumentation Room, Specific Instrumentation Room, Bacteriological/Virological Lab and Provision of expansion on Radionuclides testing.
Meanwhile, the Union Ministry has directed the State to give equal focus on all the components of National Rural Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP) and not only to the NRDWP-Programme Funds. “State should follow NRDWP Guidelines in letter and spirit and not violate any of its provisions”, the Ministry said.
Under the Annual Action Plan for 2014-15, the State has proposed to train 17000 rural people for water quality testing, conducting 70000 water quality tests in laboratories and 10000 tests using FTKs during 2014-15. The Ministry has directed the State that all the water quality affected habitations should be covered during the current financial year, sources said.
“All the drinking water sources should be tested once in every year for chemical contamination and twice for bacteriological contamination”, the Ministry has directed the State, adding “Jammu and Kashmir should plan to reduce hand pump target and focus more on piped water supply schemes besides providing water supply and toilets to all the Government schools and Anganwadi centres as per the directions of Supreme Court as till date no such targets have been fixed”.
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