Bhubaneswar: Water quality of Daya west canal and Gangua nullah on the outskirts of the city is rapidly deteriorating due to regular discharge of untreated wastewater, according to a report from the Odisha State Pollution Control Board (OSPCB).
OSPCB, which monitors the pollution levels of three major canals — Daya west canal in Bhubaneswar, Taladanda canal in Cuttack, and Puri canal in Puri — found a deviation in total coliform and faecal coliform values in all three water bodies, specifically in Daya.
“Comparison of water quality data of the Taladanda canal and Puri canal with the tolerance limits for class B (bathing), class C (drinking), and class E (irrigation) reveals occasional deviation of total coliform and faecal coliform values from the tolerance limit,” read the report.
It revealed that the water quality of Daya did not conform to class B and class C at most locations with respect to dissolved oxygen (DO), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), total coliform (TC), and faecal coliform (FC). “Such non-compliance may be ascribed to human activities and wastewater discharge,” it added.
According to the report, out of the eight points where OSPCB monitors the water quality of Daya and Gangua, DO, BOD, TC and FC levels were high at almost all locations.
BOD, which should be below 5 milligrams per litre (mg/l), is found to be as high as 75 mg/l near Garage chowk, 61.9 mg/l at Munda Sahi, 60.3 mg/l at Bomikhal near Ekamra cinema hall, and 37.5 mg/l at Kochilaput. Higher BOD in water can cause water-borne diseases.
Similarly, FC or faecal coliform in Daya and Gangua is found to be on the higher side at all eight monitoring locations. A higher FC value can cause various infectious and parasitic diseases. The report found the FC level was more than 1,60,000 most probable number per 100 ml (MPN/ml) at Kochilaput, Garage chowk, and at Bomikhal near Ekamra cinema hall, while it was at 1.40 lakh MPN/ml at Munda Sahi and 89,000 at Bhetapada.
“The pollution of Daya and Gangua is indeed very concerning, mainly due to the rapid growth of the city. It will degrade further if the govt does nothing now,” said city-based environmentalist Sailabala Padhi.