Dehradun. Following the incident of contaminated drinking water in Jeolikote, Nainital, Chief Secretary Anand Bardhan held a meeting with concerned officials to review the entire matter. Expressing strong displeasure over the incident, he made it clear that negligence at any level regarding drinking water quality and public health will not be tolerated. Directives have been issued to initiate action against heads of departments if prima facie negligence is found.
Physical Verification of Water Supply Schemes Within 15 Days
The Chief Secretary instructed the geographical mapping and physical verification of major drinking water schemes across the state. Over the next 15 days, potential leaks across water sources, storage tanks, pipelines, sewer lines, crossing points, and consumer ends will be inspected. Instructions were also issued to maintain regular records of mandatory parameters, including water quality, chlorination, tank cleaning, and coliform levels.
SOP to be Prepared for Inspection of Drinking Water and Sewer Lines
The Chief Secretary called for preparing a clear Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for checking drinking water and sewerage lines and ensuring its strict compliance. He also asked officials to investigate why drinking water contamination occurred despite existing mechanisms and at what level accountability lies.
Pollution Control Board to Conduct Regular Water Testing
The Pollution Control Board has been directed to conduct regular drinking water quality tests in major cities. Additionally, surprise inspections of sewage treatment plants will also be conducted. The Health Department was instructed to immediately dispatch health teams upon news of contaminated water incidents and ensure necessary health monitoring and testing across the state over the next 15 days.
Field Network to Serve as an Information System
The Chief Secretary stated that field-level personnel networks, including teachers, Patwaris, Gram Panchayat officers, and tubewell operators, should be effectively utilized. For this, a permanent information and feedback mechanism will be developed so that any issues regarding drinking water or health can be reported immediately. He instructed district-level committees not to limit themselves to formal meetings and to regularly collect ground-level information from field officers. Emphasis was also placed on engaging retired linemen and experienced staff with long field service to gather data on aging pipeline networks and sensitive locations.
The Chief Secretary made it clear to officials that accountability will be fixed in matters concerning public health, and strict action will be taken if negligence is found in any future incidents. The meeting was attended by Secretary Dr. Ranveer Singh Chauhan, Dr. V. Shanmugam, Pollution Control Board Member Secretary Dr. Parag Madhukar Dhakate, Jal Sansthan Chief General Manager D.K. Singh, and Nainital District Magistrate Lalit Mohan Rayal via video conferencing, along with other officials.
