RAWALPINDI, Oct 8: The Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) is supplying contaminated water to the residents, a recent study conducted by the district health department showed.

The tests had been conducted throughout the district with the help of the kits provided by the Unicef.

A report, a copy of which is available with Dawn, showed that out of ten samples of water collected from Wasa’s supply seven were found to be contaminated.

Besides, the underground water is not safe either. Some of the samples taken from the private borings done by the people at their homes and commercial units have also proved contaminated. Seven of the eleven ground water samples were declared unfit for human consumption.

District Health Officer Dr Shoaib Khan said: “We are not in a position to identify the type of contamination, as it is beyond the purview of our study.”

The contaminated water when mixed with reagents used in the testing turned black in 24 hours, whereas the clean water stayed colourless.

The city areas where Wasa supply showed contamination include Khayaban-i-Sir Syed, Dhoke Dalal, Krishanpura, Bagh Sardaran, Arya Mohalla, Dhoke Illahi Bukhsh and Mola Dad Road. Water supply of Kotha Kalan and Chakri Road is also contaminated.

The borings in Nia Mohalla, Liaquat Road, Committee Chowk, near RGH hospital, Sadiqabad and Amarpura are also yielding contaminated water.

A Wasa official, when asked to comment on the report, said the agency itself had been conducting tests off and on and there had been occasional reports of contamination. He, however, rejected the allegation that nothing was being done to improve the situation. The official said Wasa was not entirely responsible for the situation and the users themselves were equally responsible, as they did not keep their water tanks clean.

Supply of safe drinking water to the residents of the city has been a major challenge facing the local civic agencies for quite sometime. The situation has not improved much after the introduction of the much-trumpeted district governance system that was being seen as the panacea for all the ills that could not be ironed out by the previous system.

Other studies on the underground water quality of the city conducted sometimes back, including the one by the National University of Science and Technology, had also showed heavy presence of microbial contents and nitrates, chlorides and sulphates.

The city’s underground water contamination had been attributed to the Nullah Leh that passes through most part of the city.

Meanwhile, all except one samples of Taxila city failed the purity test. Interestingly, all samples of Murree city were declared fit.