The nitrate effect

Earlier posts had dwelt on the presence of chemicals in the ground water of Bangalore and the need to take remedial steps.

This post will deal with the presence of nitrates and the best and easiest way to tackle its presence in ground water.

Nitrate, which affects the blood cells, varies from 16 to 554 mg against a permissible level of 50 mg per litre in many areas of Bangalore. One of the main reasons for the presence of nitrates in ground water is the inefficient garbage disposal system. This has led to people dumping garbage in open areas. This is aggravated by the fact that  the landfills where Bangalore’s domestic waste is dumped is not scientific.

The nitrates in garbage seeps into the groundwater when it rains. A report published by the Geological Society of India has shed light  on the ground water and its nitrate, fluoride and chromium content, all of which is dangerous.

It says the permissible limit is 45mg of nitrates per litre of water. But the reading for underground water in Sanjay Gandhi Nagar is 335mg/ litre and in Old Yelahanka, 335mg/ litre. Even more shocking is the 554mg/ litre in Nayandahalli on Mysore Road.

Excess nitrate is also found in:

Nayandahalli------------------------554 mg/l

Sanjay Gandhi Nagar---------------375 mg/l

Old Yelahanka-----------------------335 mg/l

Anjananagar-------------------------298 mg/l

Santhammanahalli------------------294 mg/l

Permissible limit: 45mg/l

The nitrates in the water react with the haemoglobin in the blood to produce methemoglobin, which impairs the capacity of the red blood cells to carry oxygen to different parts of the body.

It also causes methemoglobinemia, or blue baby syndrome, a condition in which newborn babies die due to lack of oxygen supply.

Another recent study conducted by Department of Environmental Science, Bangalore University and the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai, says groundwater in Bangalore has a high concentration of nitrate.

This study was conducted by Jiban Singh M., Somashekar R.K., Prakash K.L., and Shivanna K., and  81 samples were collected for the study between January 29 and February 3, 2013.

This study too found the nitrate values in the groundwater from the central core of the city ranged from 10 to 400 mg/L.

Another study on ground water is by  M A Farooqi, scientist at Central Groundwater Board. He was conferred a doctorate by Bangalore University for his work on “Municipal waste disposal practices and their impact on groundwater quality in Bangalore Metropolitan Region”.

The study said 50 per cent of the ground water has high Nitrate levels. It says North, North-East and Southern parts of Bangalore have levels of nitrate that is ten times more than permissible limits.. 

The high nitrate content can also cause cancer, when it reacts with protein compounds in the body to form nitrosamine, a cancer-causing agent. It can also cause cyanosis among infants and also gastric cancer when present in high quantity. Nitrite is absorbed in the blood and hemoglobin gets converted to methemoglobin. Methemoglobin does not carry oxygen efficiently, resulting in a reduced oxygen supply to vital tissues such as the brain. Methemoglobin in infant blood cannot change back to hemoglobin, which normally occurs in adults. Severe methemoglobinemia can result in brain damage and even death.

Pregnant women, adults with reduced stomach acidity, and people deficient in the enzyme that changes methemoglobin back to normal hemoglobin are all susceptible to nitrite-induced methemoglobinemia or blue baby syndrome. The most obvious symptom of methemoglobinemia is a bluish color of the skin, particularly around the eyes and mouth.

Other symptoms of nitrate consumption include headache, dizziness, weakness or difficulty in breathing. Generally, healthy adults consume fairly large amounts of nitrate with few known health effects. In fact, most of the nitrate we consume is from our diets, particularly from raw or cooked vegetables. This nitrate is readily absorbed and excreted in the urine. However, prolonged intake of high levels of nitrate and that too taken in liquid form are linked to gastric problems due to the formations of nitrosamines. N-nitrosamine compounds have been shown to cause cancer in test animals.

Although there is no enforceable drinking water standard for livestock, animals too should not be allowed to drink water with more than 100 mg/l NO3-N or Nitrate. This is especially true of young animals. They are affected by nitrates the same way as human babies. Older animals may tolerate higher levels.

However, it is difficult to determine the toxicity of nitrate in animals because it depends on the rate at which the substance is consumed. A few hundred milligrams of nitrate may cause poisoning if consumed in a few hours. But spread over a whole day, 1,000 mg nitrate may cause no signs of toxicity.

Common symptoms include abdominal pain, diarrhea, muscular weakness or poor coordination. Affected animals will have blood that is a chocolate-brown color.

Nitrate also exists in animal feeds and fodder. Drought-stressed forage plants commonly have high nitrate levels. These feeds can have an additive effect when consumed with high nitrate drinking water.

Nitrate is listed as the second greatest chemical threat to surface and groundwater after pesticides. Another fact is that increasing nitrate levels in water is a potential source of several environmental stresses to aquatic organisms, because nitrate is known to be toxic to crustaceans, insects, amphibians and fish.

Today, it is acknowledged that human and animal wastes, industrial effluents, use of agrochemicals and seepage of sewage through drainage system are the main sources of nitrate contamination of ground water.

Thus Nitrates cannot be washed away or wished away. Nor will boiling the water rid it of nitrate content. If you boil water, the nitrates hardens and solidifies and this is more dangerous. Then what is the solution?.

The traditional three pot method can be implemented at the house level to get rid of the nitrates. It involves placing a pot containing sand on the top. Beneath it comes a pot containing charcoal and the last pot will be empty and this collects the filtered water.

Another way would be to dilute the nitrate-polluted water by mixing it with water from another source with low nitrate concentration. Though blended water is not safe for infants it is frequently used for livestock.

The best way is the natural way. Let water seep in to the soil and more the water that enters the ground, more will the nitrate dissolve. Studies have shown that both rainwater harvesting and modifies drain systems can dilute nitrates substantially. Beside, recharging of ground water can not only raise the water table but also dissolve to different extents all chemicals, including nitrates. 

Ground water in court

The State Government is yet to formulate a policy to tackle contamination of ground water in Bangalore and the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) and other authorities are yet to put in long term measures and take remedial steps to tackle the issue.

Ground water contamination has for long been the bane of Bangalore and there have been surveys by several agencies, including the State Government itself, the Department of Mines and Geology, BWSSB, CGWB, Bangalore University, Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) on ground water, its contamination and depletion.

The issue of contamination of ground water on Monday reached the portals of the Karnataka High Court and the first court (This is so called as it is the court of the Chief Justice) took up the issue.

A Division bench comprising the Chief Justice, D.H. Waghela and Justice B.V. Nagaratna, were hearing a suo motu petition on water contamination n Bangalore.

The Bench has ordered the State Government to convene a meeting of officials from civic agencies on the supply of potable water to 110 villages under the jurisdiction of Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike.
It has said that the meeting should be chaired by the Principal Secretary, Urban Development Department and that the Commissioner of Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) and the Chairman of Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) should participate in the meeting.
The Bench asked the Karnataka Ground Water Authority to explore the possibility of treating ground water in 169 borewells, found to be contaminated and recharging the dried up borewells.

Besides, the State Government was directed to submit a report by next date of hearing.

The case is now likely to jog the authorities into taking remedial action. Though the water supply system of Bangalore is more than a hundred years old, problems of supply, contamination, leakage of water, quality continued to dog it.

Bangalore holds the distinction of  getting the country’s first filtered water supply scheme from Hesarghatta which was commissioned during August 1896.

It was also the first city to get piped water supply and also lay and extensive underground drainage network. When Hesarghatta proved inadequate and dried up, the Arkavathy scheme was put in place between 1933, leading to the creation of TG Halli. When this too proved  inadequate, the BWSSB went in for Cauvery water supply and it commissioned Cauvery schemes in Stage – I,II,III and Stage IV Phase I.

The City’s present drinking water supply is just over 860 million liters per day (MLD). Out of the current 860 MLD water supply to the city a lion’s share of 95 per cent is provided by the Cauvery. The BWSSB has 6.23 water supply connections.

Yet, the thirst for water remains. With sources of surface water becoming scare, the only option is ground water but latest reports highlight the deplorable condition of groundwater.

One of the many reports by the Department of Mines and Geology (DMG), Karnataka, reveals the appalling condition of groundwater in Bangalore. The study found that groundwater, which meets more than 40 per cent of the  domestic potable water needs, is rich in iron, nitrate and coliform. It is also rich in Radon and other pollutants.  

Apart from this, there are plenty of other studies and scientific papers that prove that Bangalore’s ground water is highly contaminated. There are studies that talk about depleting ground water levels and others that warn of a serious epidemic if the chemicals and pollutants are not brought under permissible limits.

Moreover, the impact of garbage, debris and landfills around Bangalore on the ground water needs sustained study.

The Environment Support Group has studied the effect of the  landfill at Mavallipura on the ground water.

It says the rainwater dripping into the landfill may contaminate major water sources of the region like the Arkavathy river and Tippagondanahalli reservoir.
 Mavallipura is located in the centre of the catchment area of Arkavathy river which leads to Tippagondanahalli (TG Halli) reservoir.

The contamination of  TG Halli reservoir will impact the city directly as parts of Bangalore such as Rajajinagar still depend on it for drinking water supply. 

As of now, ESG survey shows that residents of Mavallipura and surrounding villages like Mallappanahalli and Kurubarahalli are already affected by the contaminated water. Moreover, many diseases, including malaria and typhoid, are being regularly reported.
By the way, Mavallipura and other villages do not get Cauvery water. They depend on the well and lakes for their purposes. All these water bodies have high level of chemicals. 

Though dumping of waste has stopped, the already contaminated underground water needs to be treated and rejuvenated  The 40-lakh tonne garbage in the landfill needs to be scientifically segregated and disposed off if it is to cause no further harm.

Beware: Your ground water could be radioactive

There are plenty of studies and scientific papers that prove that Bangalore’s ground water is highly contaminated. There are other studies that talk about depleting ground water levels and others that warn of a serious epidemic if the chemicals and pollutants are not brought under permissible limits.

However, what is shocking is that recent studies have indicated that the ground water in Bangalore has a substantial quantity of Radon, a radioactive chemical that is capable of causing caner and that is termed carcinogenic.

This is the result of a combined study by the Department of Environmental Studies, Bangalore University, and Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai. However, this is not the first study that has detected Radon in Bangalore. Years ago, researchers had discovered Radon in houses and this was way back in 2005 and its presence had been tracked to quarries in and around Bangalore.

This time around, the survey was in relation to water and the presence of Radon. The study has shocked people as it has discovered large quantities of Radon and this is more than sufficient to give Bangaloreans cancer and other respiratory related diseases.

Now the question is what is Radon and why is it so dangerous?.

Radon is a radioactive chemical element with symbol Rn. Its atomic number is 86. Like Oxygen, it is odorless, tasteless and colorless but unlike Oxygen it is extremely harmful to all living beings. It is a naturally occurring indirect decay product of  Uranium or Thorium.

It is a health hazard due to its radioactive nature. What few people know is that intense radioactivity has hindered chemical studies of Radon and, therefore, only a few compounds are known.

It is often the single largest contributor to an individual's background radiation dose and epidemiological studies have shown direct link between Radon and lung cancer. It is now classified as the second largest cause of lung cancer after cigarettes. In the United States alone, it caused 21,000 deaths.

Imagine the dangers that Bangaloreans face when another study revealed that Radon has been found to be present 100 times above the permissible limit in water samples analysed across several places the City.

Moreover,  high radon concentration in groundwater an cause  stomach cancer. Radon is perhaps why the incidence of stomach cancer is more than other cancers, according to the Cancer Registry of Bangalore. Moreover, when an individual is exposed to radon and its progenies, the part of the body that receives

the highest dose of ionizing radiation is the bronchial epithelium, although the extra thoracic airways and the skin may also receive appreciable doses.

The Registry says during the last three years, the number of stomach cancer cases in Bangalore has increased by  9.29 per cent among men and by 4.3 per cent among women.

This study was taken up by the Central Ground Water Board following a directive from the Union Ministry of Water Resources.
The results have been published in this month’s edition of the “Journal of the Geological Society of India”. 

The study involved analyses of 30 ground water samples taken from borewells across the City. The permissible limit for Radon in water is 11.83 Bq/L (Becquerel per litres). The study showed that Radon concentration varied between 56 Bq/L and 947 Bq/l in the samples.
Water from a borewell at Talghatapura revealed the highest radon concentration of 1189 Bq/l, while samples from a borewell at Majestic in Central Bangalore area showed 946.69 Bq/l. The lowest presence of Radon, 55.96 Bq/L was detected in a water taken from a borewell in Srinivasapura. More worringly, not a single well showed Radon to be below the permissible limits.

The study was done across Bangalore, from Uttarahalli to Banashankari and included several other parts. Chickpet and Hebbal also reported the highest radon concentration. The data gathered in this study was analysed with the help of RAD7 which is with Bangalore University.

The CGWB says groundwater dissolves radon from the soil or aquifer and releases certain quantity to air when it comes in contact

with it. Drinking of radon contaminated groundwater for a longer period may cause stomach cancer.

Another grave issue is that neither the BWSSB, CGWB nor any authority  have RAD7 equipment to measure radon content in the water.

Bangalore University had imported the equipment from USA.

There is an urgent need to import the equipment as the World Health Organisation (WHO) mandates regular and continuous checking, analysis and sampling of Radon contaminated water. Apart from Bangalore, Radon has been recorded at Keolari-Nainpur area and the Seoni-Mandla district in Madhya Pradesh, and parts of Bhatinda, Gurdaspur, Garhwal, Himachal Pradesh, the Shivalik Himalayas and the underground waters of the Doon Valley in India.

Is there no way to make ground water safe from Radon. Yes, there is.

There are two principal ways to remove radon from water supplies dependent on groundwater sources. The first is Aeration, which forces radon from the water to the air, can be highly effective and the second is bubble plate aeration and diffused bubble aeration as point-of-entry units are capable of achieving removal efficiencies in excess of 99% at loading rates of 185 Bq/l and more.

Incidentally, L. A. Sathish of the Post Graduate Department of Physics, Government Science College, Bangalore; K. Nagaraja of the Department of Physics, Bangalore University; and T. V. Ramachandran of the Ex-Environmental Assessment Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Center, Mumbai conducted research on “The spatial and volumeric variations of radon in Bangalore Metropolitan area in 2011”. They studied ten houses in Bangalore for Radon contamination and found that the concentrations of indoor 222Rn, 220Rn and their progeny levels are higher in poor

ventilated houses than in well ventilated houses. Besides, Radon

levels in houses were found to be inversely related to room sizes.

Pumping crores down the ground

There has been a hue and cry over the increasing gap between demand and supply of water to Bangalore and  there have been hundreds of experts who have gone into the issue, making a variety of suggestions and mooting several steps to tackle the issue. On its part, the State Government and the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) too have constituted committees, held discussions, seminars and workshops and even explored the possibility of bringing rivers from far away, including the Krishna, to Bangalore to tide over the widening demand-supply position.

However, what many forget is that instead of going in for such elaborate and highly expensive measures, a more cost effective and more long term plan can be implemented by the BWSSB on its own. There has been loud thinking on the part of the Government and others to harness West-flowing rivers such as Kanganahole, Kakkatuhole and Ethinahole to augment water supply to Bangalore and there was even a thinking to bring water from Almatti dam in Bagalkot district to the city.

These solutions are a logistic nightmare and needs years to fructify, Instead, the existing water supply network can be streamlined and all its needs is a just a little political will and bureaucratic determination.

Every Bangalore knows that the Cauvery today is the  lifeline of the City. It meets nearly 75 per cent of Bangalore’s water supply and with the Hesarghatta and TG Halli reservoirs failing to fill up, the Cauvery and groundwater apart from Arkavathy are the only solution.

One of the easiest steps to pump in more water to quench Bangalore’s thirst is to plug the leakages. Unfortunately, the leakage, which can be classified as unaccounted water, is 43 per cent and this is among the highest in India. 

The Cauvery is supplying 1,410 million litres a day (MLD) to Bangalore and of this only 550 MLD is billed, leaving 509 MLD as “unaccounted-for water (UFW). Of the total unaccounted water, an estimated 35 per cent is due to leakage from and in water supply pipes.

Another worrying statistics is that unaccounted water has increased from 16 per cent (62 MLD) in 1990 to 48 per cent (509 MLD) in 2007 and this year too it has increased. 

What further compounds BWSSB’s misery is that it  costs Rs. 300 crore annually in electricity charges for it to pump Cauvery water from TK Halli.( Buster pumps lift water at Harohalli and Thataguni water stations before pumping the Cauvery to the  Ground level reservoirs at Bangalore). This means close to Rs. 100 crores is lost every year with the water literally going down the drain. Moreover, the power required to transport the water from TK Halli consumes 75 per cent of the board’s revenues.

Over the years or rather decades that the BWSSB has been in existence, if we calculate the total wastage of water, it crosses a mind boggling Rs.1,000 crores and this amount has literally gone down the drain.     

The unaccounted water in Bangalore is the fourth highest among cities in India. Can Bangalore and the water board afford this? 
Of the 1410 MLD that is currently being pumped into Bangalore, the BWSSB has set apart 150 MLD for industries, 750 for domestic water consumption, leaving 55 MLD unaccounted. This means that each person in Bangalore today gets only 75 litres per capita per day (LPCD) as against the Centre’s norm of 150 LPCD. With Bangalore’s registering a minimum population growth of four percent every year, the gap between supply and demand will go up and the BWSSB will struggle to even maintain the current level of 75 LPCD. This against the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) stipulated requirement of 150 LPCD.

So where exactly is the loss of water. According to BWSSB itself and also according to several surveys and reports, the water loss between TK Halli at the Cauvery point and the bulk storage reservoirs at 55 ground level (reserviors) main receiving stations in Bangalore is around 2.8 per cent. This is apart from the 47 overhead tanks. Besides, the loss in the bulk supply pipelines from all the four Cauvery staged which add up to 250 km in length is also negligible. When the water is treated at the in the sand bed filters at BWSSB pump houses and the leaks at valves account for 3 per cent. This means that almost 40 per cent of the leakage is at the distribution system of  pipelines which cover 5101 kilometres.

The first major water pipeline network in the Pettah or petes (Old Bangalore areas) was commissioned in 1922 and they are almost a hundred years old. A vast network of this pipeline needs to be urgently replaced and the new generation pies can not only saved leakage but also lead to better distribution pattern.  The new pipes can supply water at constant pressure and maintain the level of supply, which the old pipes cannot.

Another disquiet is the high cost of water production and supply in Bangalore. It is the highest in the country at Rs. 23.13 per kilolitre and this is several times higher than what Mumbai pays Rs. 2.17 per kilolitre and Chennai Rs. 5.73 per kilolitre.

The first step for the board would be to reducing leakage in 6.7 lakh water connections. The leakage at these points is estimated  at anything between fifteen per cent to thirty per cent.

There are several other steps though which have to be taken along with repair and replacement of old pipelines. The lakes and water bodies have to be revived and latest statistics reveal that 602 lakes and tanks have turned into sewage pits, the storm water drain network of 856 kilometres needs to be cleared of debris, silt and filth. The borwells need to be recharged and there is a need to cap drilling of more borewells. Rainwater harvesting (less than a lakh houses-not apartments and flats out of 18.10 lakhs properties-have gone in for rainwater harvesting) should be strictly implemented and water should be metered at all places and regular water audits held to pinpoint any major source of leaks. 

Can we see the authorities go in for immediate measures than float nebulous ideas and those which require huge sums of money. Why waste the tax payers money on fancy schemes of bringing in more water when the distribution network cannot take the existing load itself.   

The deadly waters beneath the city

There are reports in the media about the last date of registration of borewells in Bangalore. The  Government had made it mandatory for borewell owners to register them.

This is the first step in regulating and monitoring the borewells and through them the quality and quantity of groundwater.

There is no data needed to buttress the point that the groundwater table in Bangalore has gone down drastically over the last few decades. But what is not all that well–known is that the quality of groundwater in several places leaves much to be desired and in some cases are unfit for human consumption.     

The Department of Mines and Geology, Karnataka, recently released a report on the hydrology and ground water level of Bangalore.

The report studied the ground water, its quality, quantity, availability and usage in and around Bangalore. The report warns of the scramble to sink borewells and it estimates that 570 MLD (million liters a day) of Bangalore's water comes from groundwater.

The borewells are being made use of to make up the shortfall from supply of water through Arkavathi and Cauvery. The department says between February 2009 and January 2010, Bangaloreans happily sunk 14483 borewells in the core area of 330 sq. km. covered by the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB).

The Department says as on January 2010,  there were 105,501 borewells registered with the BWSSB in the core area. If the newly added areas of  380 sq km. is also covered, the total number of borewells would be 2.25 lakhs.

The department checked the water quality by analyzing 2209 groundwater samples covering all of Bangalore. Nitrate content was in excess of the permissible limit in 29 per cent of the samples, iron in 10 per cent,  total hardness in 8.5 per cent and fluoride in 0.6 per cent.

It found that  31 per cent of the groundwater samples were not up to drinking water standards. An earlier study of  2003 had found that 50 per cent of the samples tested were unfit. The reason for the improvement of quality is beyond any scientific reason and it is a cause for mystery.

The current study covered 741 sq km., and the TDS (Total Dissolved Solids) ranged from500mg/L to 2000 mg/L in 68 per cent of samples. Water with high TDS might have an undesirable taste and may not be comfortable to bathe in, but it is dangerous. Mahadevapura and Dasarahalli zones had TDS per litre of water exceeding 1,600 mg, as against the prescribed limit of 500 mg per litre. This is probably due to agricultural and industrials runoffs in these areas.

Regular use of water with high TDS leads to hair loss. Drinking this water leads to tooth-related problems.

However, what is worrying is the Nitrate contamination. The permissible limit is 45 mg/L and nitrate is harmful particularly to babies. Twenty nine per cent of the samples tested had higher than permissible nitrate content.  What is more worrisome is that the samples are also evenly distributed throughout the city. Thus, the entire city suffers from this contamination.

Fluoride contamination seems to be making inroads in Bangalore which till recently was unheard of. Bangalore. Sixteen of the 2209 samples tested higher than permissible limits for fluoride.

Some samples recorded fluoride as high as 5.54 mg/l in borewell water in Bellandur. The permissible limit for human consumption is 1.5 mg/l. Borewells in Uttarahalli recorded 5.06 mg/l of fluoride

Special testing was done for heavy metals in industrial areas.

The fluoride contamination shows how deep borewells have sunk into the aquifer, especially in south, southeast and north Bangalore. While Bellandur village recorded fluoride ranging between 2.3 to 5.5 mg/l, Bellahalli cross in Yelahanka and Sapthagiri layout in Seegehalli (Whitefield) were found to have 2.3 mg/l of the chemical each.

The report says  as borewells have begun to sink to depths between 800 to 1,000 feet, they struck groundwater rich in fluoride, a natural component of rock chemistry in these parts of Bangalore.

Samples from the industrial areas showed high levels (much above drinking water standard) of contaminants:

Zinc: Gollahalli (Bommanahalli), Hosapalya(including CMC supply), Somasundarapalya (HSR 2nd Sector), ITI Layout (Hosapalya), Anu Polymers (Rajajinagar Industrial Town), Reshma Dyeing Factory (Rajajinagar Industrial Area)

Manganese: Peenya Industrial Area (11th Cross, 4th Phase), Hegganahalli (Srigandhanagar), Hosapalya (BBMP Nursery), Rajajinagar Industrial Town (Anu Polymers), Rajajinagar (Agrahara Dasarahalli), Old Madras Road Industrial Area (Virgonagar)

Chromium: 3rd Phase Peenya Industrial Area, Peenya 2nd Stage (Adrahalli Main Road), Peenya 2nd Stage (Andrahalli Main Road, Kaverinagar), Peenya 2nd Stage (Rajagopal Nagar), Hegganahalli (Srigandhanagar), Yelahanka New Town, Rajajinagar Industrial Town (Swadesh Industrial Supplier), Rajajinagar Industrial Town (Anu Polymers)

The report said groundwater resources are being overexploited.

If you want to get water tested, the Department of Mines and Geology, will do so at its office on Kanija Bhavan on Race Course Road.

The website of the department is: http://mines.kar.nic.in/.

Another report on ground water by Centre for Sustainable Development found almost all ground water samples in newly added areas of BBMP had high TDS.

The high TDS is an indication that ground water contains inorganic and organic solids in excess of the prescribed standards - 500 mg per litre of water.

A Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) survey says sample reports for 2011 show that coliform content was high in April and June. Water with coliform is not potable and it causes  gastroenteritis and fever.

Generally, a mix up of sewerage water with drinking water results in coliform. Most of water quality-related complaints come from east and west zones, which have some of the oldest pipeline networks in Bangalore.
The Karnataka Legislature passed the Karnataka Ground Water (Regulation and Control of Development and Management) Bill, 2011, in March last year. The bill is meant to provide for the constitution of the Karnataka Ground Water Authority which in turn will control indiscriminate exploitation of groundwater, especially in the notified areas like city-corporation, municipality limits or drought hit areas.

The authority came into being on May 5, 2012. It functions under the Department of Mines and Geology and it  held its first meeting to frame guidelines for the new Act.
Such an act is already in operation in Maharashtra, Punjab, New Delhi, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal.