The potable water in Bangalore is much more contaminated than in Kolkata, New Delhi, Mumbai, Lucknow, Pune, Hyderabad and Chennai, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO) report. The report warns that besides common people, those with impaired immunity or people with HIV are most at risk of life-threatening diarrhoea.
In the potable water supplied to the city, the incidences of dissolved solids, hardness, chlorides and nitrates exceed permissible limits. Besides, the toxic chemicals, arsenal, lead and disease-causing bacteria are present to an alarming level. Nearly 72% of residents in Bangalore get contaminated water – 15 of BBMP’s 198 wards get 100% contaminated water. Only 28% of water, according to the Bacteriological Field Test, is potable in this city.
Eureka Forbes and GFK studies found that potable water in Bangalore and its surrounding areas cause five major killing diseases – acute diarrhoea, enteric fever (typhoid), viral hepatitis, cholera and acute encephalitis. These five diseases took a toll of 285 lives in Bangalore and other parts of Karnataka, between 2010 and 2013.