Dip in water quality in urban areas

Govt. planning to dig new borewells in rural areas, probably in the beds of Malattar, Guduvayar, Pannayar

The quality of drinking water in several urban pockets of Puducherry has deteriorated further in the last two to three years, residents claim.

Marguerita Helene, 70, a resident of Rainbow Nagar, said drinking water quality is poor in her locality. “The quality of drinking water started deteriorating 10 or 12 years ago. At a point of time, we could not consume water supplied by the municipality. The water turned completely saline from 2010. Then, we opted for RO. After repeated complaints, the municipal authorities said the Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) in the water had crossed 2,000 parts per million (ppm) and the authorities said they have started mixing water from other localities to bring down the TDS level before supplying it to Rainbow Nagar,” Ms. Helene said.

In the last two to three years, the water has become even more hard and salty, said V. Ramakanthan, a resident of Krishna Nagar, adding that food, especially rice, cooked in the water tastes different. “Food also does not get cooked properly. Many of my family members complain of hair loss and doctors have said substandard water used for bathing could result in hair loss and skin diseases,” he said.