MARGAO: The people of Borda and Comba are angry over the contamination of over 20 wells in their locality with suspected Coliform bacteria.
The residents suspect that polluted ground water is the cause for the rise in cancer cases in their locality and accused an industrial unit at Borda of releasing waste water in the open leading to the ground water getting contaminated.
Local Councillor Glen Andrade has written to the Health Department complaining about the ground water pollution.
In his letter, Andrade expressed shock and trauma over the fact that wells around Holy Spirit church are found to be contaminated with coliforms and hence cannot be consumed while till a few years back water from these wells was used by the local residents.
Water from three sources were sent by Glenn for analysis and all three have found high levels of coliforms making the water unfit for consumption.
While the normal permissible coliforms in potable water is 2mpn a well near Holy Spirit church was found to be having 542 mpn while even a well near Chowgule College was contaminated with coliforms.
The water was tested by a private and established pathology laboratory and also the Environment and Pollution Control Wing of the Directorate of Health Services who in its report dated 16th January 2020 very clearly stated “the tested sample does not prescribe to the standards prescribed for drinking water.”
Glenn said he asked the department to carry out fresh test of the water and said this testing will be done within the next two days.
