Safe drinking water
- Hueiyen Lanpao Editorial :: November 04, 2014 -

Sale of water either in packaged bottles or in tankers has become quite a profitable business in Manipur nowadays.

Before the appearance of packaged water in the state, people relied on boiled water for drinking.

However, the easy availability of different brands and quantities of so-called potable water has sidelined the habit of boiling water for domestic use.

Besides the water packages produced by private enterprises in the state, a number of water brands in bottles are traded into Manipur from across Myanmar.

It is everybody’s knowledge that safe water sustains life, while bad water kills.

The ‘water trading’ has burgeoned considerably in Manipur state particularly in the valley areas, mainly because of the failure of state government to implement water supply schemes across the state.

Now the pertinent question that strikes the minds of many is whether we are purchasing the expected quality of water for drinking and other domestic purposes.

Moreover, it is obviously doubtful whether the water supply schemes either of the government or of the private enterprises, are treating water in accordance with the required standard specifications.

Appropriate technology options in water treatment needs to be applied in the water supply plants of the state by way of stationing experts.

Interestingly, those who are executing water treatment in water supply schemes of the government are the lowest ranked staffs.

It is far to expect that such staff who are at the lowest strata of the department possess the technical knowledge for preparation and treatment of drinking water.

Public are reliably using water supplied from such government schemes or from private traders.

Plainly speaking, the staffs assigned to execute water treatment are not expected to have the complete knowledge on how much quantity of ‘bleach powder’, chlorine, alum etc. is to be administered in what intervals.

Hence, the safety of supplied water is questionable.

It is high time for the State Public Health and Engineering Department and the Health Department to depute experts to monitor water treatment process at both government and private water treatment plants in Manipur.

The packaged water available at the markets are also required to be monitored by experts in the field for public safety.