Mangaluru: The water you drink at home or outside may not be fit for consumption. With the recent tests of water samples collected at six places in the city, confirming the presence of total coliform bacteria in alarming level in water.

J Palemar, who released a copy of the reports to media on Thursday, said, “Of the total 26 different places in Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) limits from where water samples were collected, high-level coliform has been confirmed in the water collected at Katipalla Masjid (348), Government Hospital, Suratkal (1,600), Chilimbi (25), Bondel (40), Pandeshwara (6) and Ashoknagar (4).”

Quoting experts, Palemar said, “The permissible level of coliform in water is 2. If the presence of coliform is between 6 and 7, it is better advised to boil the water before drinking.”

Though the same water samples were also tested for the presence of faecal coliform (that indicate presence of human waste or animal waste), it is still low when compared to total coliform.
Palemar said the samples were tested at Mangalore Biotech Laboratory, a private laboratory near Pumpwell.

The samples were sent for tests between December 26 and 31 and the results were obtained on January 2. The service of private laboratory was sought to ensure speedy results against the government laboratory, he clarified.

Without taking the name of Mangaluru North (formerly Surathkal constituency) MLA B A Mohiuddin Bawa, against whom he also lost the previous elections to assembly, Palemar said, “Even the locality (Katipalla) where the young MLA resides, drinking water is not safe for consumption.”

Palemar said he had undertaken a similar exercise when he was the MLA, by testing the water samples collected at all 60 wards in MCC limits. The recent tests hold mirror to the style of functioning of the MCC, that should ensure potable water to the people.

To a question on whether he will submit the findings to city corporation authorities, Palemar said he will hand them over to his party (BJP) corporators, who are in the Opposition benches in the city corporation to raise the issue in the council meeting.