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DJB collected 1.5 lakh water samples over 9 months, less than 2% failed standards: CM
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Will take samples from every municipal ward of Delhi in presence of the media, Opposition and prove Delhi’s water is satisfactory: CM
By Varun Bhardwaj:
New Delhi, November 18,2019: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal strongly rejected the recent report on water quality in Delhi released by Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan that said Delhi’s water is unsafe. Quoting the Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, CM Shri Kejriwal said, “On 26 September 2019, Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said that Delhi’s water quality is better than European standards. From 20 locations in Delhi, the Union Water Ministry collected samples to come to this conclusion. All were better than European standards. These are his words, not mine.”
CM Kejriwal also recalled that the Union Water Minister’s statement came a day after Shekhawat’s cabinet colleague Ram Vilas Paswan had raised questions about the portability of tap water in Delhi. “When asked, Shekhawat termed the statement of Paswan as his personal opinion. On 6 October 2019, BJP Manoj Tiwari defended the Union Water Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and agreed that Delhi’s water quality is better than European standards,” the Chief Minister added.
“Ram Vilas Paswan’s statement was reportedly based on samples from 11 places. From just 11 samples, a city’s water quality can’t be declared as good or bad. We also didn’t get an answer when we requested the details of the places in Delhi from where the samples were collected. Was there anything to be hidden? As per the WHO standards, there should be one sample collected for every 10000 people in cities. There should have been 2000 samples taken in Delhi. Now, which Minister is correct – The Union Jal Shakti Minister or Ram Vilas Paswan or Manoj Tiwari?” CM Kejriwal asked.
“Delhi Jal Board collects 500 samples every day from different places in Delhi. Between 01 January and 24 September 2019, Delhi Jal Board collected 155302 samples. Among them, only 2222 samples i.e. just 1.43% failed, while 153080
samples passed i.e. 98.57%. Again in October, Delhi Jal Board collected 16502 samples, among which only 3.98% of samples (658) failed, while 96.02% (15844) passed. As per WHO norms, the allowable limit of unsatisfactory results is 5%. Delhi’s performance is comfortably within WHO norms”, said the Chief Minister.
“In the coming days, the Delhi Jal Board will collect water samples randomly from five places in every MCD ward and test for quality. We’ll invite the media and Ram Vilas Paswan also. After testing these samples, findings along with the sources of samples will be made public”, said the Chief Minister.
“We are not claiming that all problems in Delhi have been solved. In the past 70 years, various governments ruined development in Delhi. Everything can’t be done in five years. Still, in the last five years, we worked very hard to provide various facilities to people. In many colonies, the Delhi government laid new water pipelines. We are replacing the sewer lines in many colonies so that drinking water won’t be mixed with sewage and also implementing many projects to improve the quality of tap water in Delhi. It is a work in progress. Regarding water connections and quality of water, in the last five years Delhi witnessed an unimaginable change,” said the Chief Minister.