Coliform bacteria level high in ground water in many areas

Government today said coliform bacteria limit is exceeding in ground water in 83 per cent of the locations being assessed by Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
"CPCB in association with State Pollution Control Board/Pollution Control Committees is assessing the river water and ground water quality at 1275 locations and 807 locations respectively in the country.
"Total and Faecal Coliforms, which indicate presence of pathogens in water are conforming to the desired levels in 47 per cent observations and 62 per cent observations respectively in river water samples, whereas, the coliform bacteria limit in ground water samples is exceeding at 667 out of the 807 locations," Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar said in a written reply in Rajya Sabha.

He said that discharge of domestic sewage is a source of coliform contamination in rivers as well as ground water. As per CPCB's estimates of 2015, the total volume of sewage generation in the country from Class I and Class II towns is about 61948 million tonnes per day, against which the available treatment capacity is 23277 mld.
"It is the responsibility of the state government/ concerned local bodies to set up proper facilities for collection, transportation and treatment of sewage being generated and ensure that untreated sewage does not pollute rivers and water bodies.
"The government has been supplementing the efforts of the state governments for creation of sewerage infrastructure and setting up of sewage treatment Plants under various Central Sector Schemes, including the National River Conservation Plan (NRCP) programme of the Ministry," Javadekar said.