HYDERABAD, Sept 2: Additional chief secretary local bodies Saleem Khan has said that the laboratory of the Wasa filter plant was not conducting bacteriological tests of water before supplying to consumers.

He visited the Wasa filter plant on Thursday and expressed dissatisfaction over the quality of water being supplied to the city. The secretary was told that the filter plant's laboratory had no chemicals for bacteriological tests.

Laboratory assistant Seema Burdi said only two tests, one in the morning and the other in the evening, were being conducted before supply. She said physical and chemical tests of water were conducted to note hardness, conductivity and chlorides. The secretary indicated that raw water was being supplied after minor treatment to the people.

DCO Mohammad Hussain Syed said the laboratory needed Rs1 million for its equipment and chemicals. He said three clarifiers of the filter plant had silted up and closed.

The director-general of the Hyderabad Development Authority said two more clarifiers were required which would cost Rs100 million. He said each and every scheme about the improvement of water supply, sewerage and drainage had been made part of Rs10.5 billion package for the city.

The consultant of the district government, Shafi Lakho, said desilting of lagoons beyond feet was not advisable because the land was water-logged and the level of sub-soil water was increasing.

He said at present Wasa could store water for 8.9 days while after one feet desilting of lagoons and addition of one more lagoon would increase the capacity upto 11.9 day. EPA administrative in charge Mashud Siddiqui said the irrigation department had not shared readings of the telemetry system with other departments.