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Assessment Report on the Quality of Water in Kairana, !

This report is a study conducted by the People’s Science Institute, Dehradun at the behest of Swaniti Initiative on the quality of water in Kairana, Uttar Pradesh. Analyses and conclusions in the report are drawn out of a limited scientific field investigation that was carried out in May 2016 to ascertain water quality and possible contaminants. This analytical report can be used for the purpose of ensuring safe water for the communities. ! ! ! ! 2!

! Background ! In#December#2015,#Swaniti#Initiative,#in#collaboration#with#Arghyam#Foundation#organized#a#Roundtable# Conference# for# the# Members# of# Parliament# on# the# issue# of# Quality# of# Water.# The# objective# of# the# conference#was#not#only#to#highlight#the#issues#related#to#water#contamination#but#also#to#showcase#best# practices#towards#addressing#these#issues#and#to#foster#a#dialogue#among#MPs#on#individual#experiences# and#ideas#for#their#constituencies.# # Consequently,#Mr.#Hukum#Singh,#the#Honorable#MP#from#Kairana,#Uttar#Pradesh#and#the#Chairman#of#the# Standing#Committee#on#Water#Resources,#expressed#his#concern#with#regards#to#the#deteriorating#quality# of#water#in#certain#pockets#of#his#constituency#and#invited#the#Swaniti#team#and#the#experts#to#study#and# assess#the#issue#in#greater#depth.#Following#up#on#Mr.#Singh’s#request,#Swaniti#reached#out#to#Arghyam# and#the#experts#in#the#field#of#water#quality#monitoring,#detection#and#management#to#discuss#the#need#to# undertake#a#visit#to#Kairana#to#look#at#the#extent#of#the#water#quality#problem#in#the#area.#Accordingly,# People’s#Science#Institute#(PSI)#was#invited#to#assess#the#issue#in#a#scientific#and#detailed#manner.## # As#a#result,#a#threeTperson#team#with#two#environmental#scientists#from#PSI#and#the#project#lead#from# Swaniti# Initiative# visited# Kairana# on# 22nd# –# 23rd# May# 2016# to# better# understand# the# water# quality# situation#in#the#area.#

Table of Contents

S.No% Section% Page%Number%

1% Objective! 3!

2% Methodology! 3!

3% Results! 5!

4% Feedback!from!the!Community! 8!

5% Recommendations! 9!

6% Annexure! 10!

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! 1. Objective ! The# objective# of# the# visit# was# to# assess# the# water# quality# situation# in# Kairana,# # identify# underlying# contaminants#in#water#and#accordingly#propose#certain#short#term#and#longTterm#measures#to#mitigate# the#contamination#and#ensure#safe#drinking#water#for#the#population#in#affected#areas.## ! 2. Methodology – Ensuring a Detailed and Scientific Assessment of Situation# In#order#to#assess#the#water#quality#in#the#area#in#a#detailed#and#scientific#manner,#Swaniti#and#the#team# of#experts#adopted#a#twoTstep#approach:# ! 2.1 Collect water samples from the ‘affected’ areas Based# on# the# data# available# from# the# National# Water# Quality# Database,# the# MIS# for# National# Rural# Drinking#Water#Programme#(NRDWP),#and#the#suggestions#from#the#MPs#office#on#the#‘perceived’#water# quality# affected# areas,# six# villages# across# the# constituency# were# identified# and# selected# to# conduct# the# water#quality#tests.#The#details#of#the#six#villages#are#provided#below#(Source:)Census)2011).) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) Google&Map&of&the&Constituency;&the&selected&areas&for&testing&are&highlighted&in&red.& ! Block Village # Households Population Unchagaon 899 5,223 Buchcha Kheri 853 5,489 Kairana Mawi 572 3,717 Sahpat 436 2,661 Mullapur 184 1,026 Kutub Garh 415 2,374 ! ! ! 4!

! While#collecting#samples,#efforts#were#made#to#select#a#range#of#sources#on#the#basis#of:# # • Their)use)for)drinking,)domestic)and)irrigation)purposes) • Their)type)such)as)a)hand)pump,)tube)well,)submersible,)etc.)) • The)depth)of)each)source)) # Special#focus#was#also#given#on#collecting#samples# on# the# basis# of# suggestions# from# the# community# members.# Samples# were# collected# from# sources,# which#showed#distinct#physical#characteristics#or# were#used#by#patients#suffering#from#widespread# water# related# diseases# in# the# area# such# as# diarrhea,# jaundice,# hepatitisTC,# cancer,# tumor,# physical#deformity,#teeth#discoloration#etc.#A#total# of#18#samples#were#collected#from#the#6#villages# and#the#team#recorded#the#GPS#coordinates#of#the# location# from# where# the# sample# was# collected# and# the# details# of# the# water# source.# Details# of# these#samples#are#provided#in#the#Annexure.#The# community# provided# extensive# feedback# to# the# The team from PSI and Swaniti interacting with the community members of Mullapur village in Thana Bhawan team,# which# was# useful# in# understanding# the# on# to better understand the water quality issues in the area ground#situation#with#respect#to#water.## # A#couple#of#samples#were#also#taken#from#the#Khadiyan#Mohalla#on#the#Kandla#Road#and#from#the#Krishna# river#near#the#Panipat#–#Khatima#highway#based#on#the#feedback#received#on#the#ground.# !

The Hon’ble MP of Kairana guiding the team of experts Residents of the Khadiyan Mohalla in Kairana town on the water contamination issues in the Krishna River sharing their concerns on the deteriorating water quality

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! 2.2. Perform quality tests on the collected water samples! The#water#samples#collected#were#then#analyzed#for#various#water#quality#parameters.#The#TDS#and#pH# level#of#the#samples#was#measured#on#the#ground#during#the#visit#itself#using#the#Field#Testing#Kit#(FTK)# that#the#experts#were#carrying.#The#samples#collected#were#then#sent#to#PSI’s#research#headquarters#for#a# detailed#laboratory#testing#and#further#analysis#on#the#below#mentioned#additional#parameters.#All#the# tests#were#conducted#as#per#the#guidelines#of#Bureau#of#Indian#Standards.# ) • Alkalinity) • Chemical)Oxygen)Demand)(COD)) • Chloride) • Fecal)Coliform) • Iron) • Nitrate) • Pesticides) ! 3. Results – The Magnitude of Problem Comes to the Fore ! Overall,#there#seems#to#be#a#genuine#problem#with#the#water#quality#in#the#region.#The#table#below#shows# the# findings# of# the# test# result# for# each# parameter# tested# and# the# overall# situation# of# the# villages# from# where#samples#were#collected.#(Please#refer#the#annexure#at#the#end#of#the#report#for#detailed#results#of# the#samples)## # Problem3 Fecal3 Total3 Magnitude3in3 Village Population pH TDS Coliform Alkalinity Chloride Nitrate>N Iron COD Village MPN/1003 mg/l,3as3 0,53for3POOR,3 ppm ml CaCO3 mg/l mg/l mg/l mg/l 13for3BAD

Unchagaon 5223 GOOD POOR BAD POOR GOOD GOOD BAD BAD 4 Buchcha3Kheri 5489 GOOD POOR BAD POOR GOOD GOOD GOOD BAD 3 Mawi 3717 GOOD GOOD BAD POOR GOOD GOOD BAD BAD 4 Sahpat 2661 GOOD POOR BAD POOR GOOD GOOD GOOD GOOD 2 Kairana GOOD POOR BAD POOR GOOD GOOD BAD BAD 4 Mullapur 1026 GOOD POOR GOOD BAD GOOD GOOD BAD GOOD 3 Kutub3Garh 2374 GOOD GOOD BAD POOR GOOD GOOD BAD BAD 4 Pollutant3 magnitude 0 2,5 6 4 0 0 5 5 # ! Good:!Within!Acceptable!Limits;!POOR:!Within!Permissible!Limits;!BAD:!Over!Permissible!Limits! ! ! ! ! ! ! 6!

! 3.1 Pesticides ! Because#of#the#lengthy#procedures#involved#in#pesticide#testing,#one#sample#was#taken#from#each#village# as#a#representative#sample#to#gauge#the#scale#of#the#problem.#Tests#confirmed#the#presence#of#alpha#and# gamma#isomers#of#Hexachlorocyclohexane#(HCH)#in#5#out#of#6#samples#tested,#as#shown#in#table#below.#In# addition#to#HCHs,#Dieldrin#and#some#unidentified#peaks#of#other#organochlorine#compounds#were#also# identified.# # HCH#has#both#chronic#and#acute#toxicity#effects#on#humans.#Entering#the#body#through#eyes,#skin#or#direct# ingestion,# it# can# cause# harm# to# the# nervous# system# in# addition# to# seizures,# convulsions# or# even# death.# International#Agency#for#Research#on#Cancer#(IARC)#identifies#HCH#as#a#known#human#carcinogen,#and#in# 2009#its#agricultural#use#was#banned#under#the#Stockholm#Convention#on#Persistent#Organic#Pollutants,# due#to#its#strong#persistence#in#the#environment#and#bioTmagnification#potential#with#longTrage#transport# capability.#Dieldrin’s#use#is#also#banned#under#this#convention#as#it#is#linked#to#breast#cancer,#immune#and# nervous#system#damage,#Parkinson’s#disease#and#an#endocrine#disruptor.# ! Table:%Pesticide%analysis%using%Gas%Chromatography%(GC)%

Name of the Pesticides (µg/L) Number of Village α-HCH γ-HCH Dieldrin unidentified peaks Unchagaon - 0.3 0.2 1 Buchcha Kheri 0.4 - - 1 Mawi 0.2 0.5 - 3 Sahpat - - - 2 Mullapur 0.6 - - 2 Kutub Garh 0.3 - - 2 ! The# results# indicate# that# the# pesticides# have# infiltrated# into# the# ground# water,# which# is# an# alarming# situation.# Further# detailed# study# is# required# to# completely# understand# that# the# risk# posed# by# this# phenomenon#on#the#health#of#local#people.# ! 3.2 Iron ! Iron# contamination# was# found# to# be# a# major# problem# across# most# of# the# test# locations# excluding# the# villages#of#Buchcha#Khedi#and#Sahpat.#The#presence#of#iron#was#clearly#felt#on#site#by#visually#inspecting# the# redTtinted# tumblers# and# hand# pump# platforms.# Interestingly# though,# the# average# iron# content# in# water#from#deep#borewells#happens#to#be#higher#than#in#the#water#from#the#hand#pumps.#Even#though# iron#is#not#toxic#as#such,#but#in#high#concentrations,#it#can#cause#some#acute#physiological#discomforts# such#as#diarrhoea#and#nausea.# ! ! ! 7!

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# The reddish color clearly indicates high iron content in the ground water ! 3.3 Fecal Coliform – Testing the Bacteriological Contamination in Water ! More#than#half#of#the#samples#were#tested#positive#for#the#presence# of# Fecal# Coliform.# Fecal# Coliform# group# of# bacteria# indicates# the# presence#of#pathogen#in#the#tested#water#samples.#There#was#hardly# any# difference# in# the# bacteriological# contamination# with# the# depth# the#water#was#extracted#from.## # Surprisingly# though,# no# coliform# was# found# in# the# water# samples# from# the# village# Mullapur# where# water# born# diseases# such# as# diarrhoea#are#quite#prevalent.#It#could#be#possible#that#the#prevalent# diarrhoea# there# is# because# of# other# contaminants# in# water# like# metals,# or# that# the# contamination# happens# while# handling# the# A Total Coliform Test Sample drinking#water#after#extraction.## ! 3.4 Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) ! Although,#no#COD#limits#have#been#set#for#drinking#water,#it#is#assumed#that#the#safe#limit#would#be#25# mg/l,#which#is#10%#of#the#COD#standards#set#for#effluent#waters#into#open#water#bodies.#All#the#villages# except#Sahpat#and#Mullapur#seem#to#have#a#problem#with#higher#COD#in#water.#This#could#be#due#to:# # • Excess#pesticides#and#fertilizers#seeping#into#the#ground#water# • Industrial#effluents#which#can#seep#into#the#ground#water#either#directly#or#indirectly# # The# major# source# of# ground# water# in# the# area# is# the# river# bodies# in# the# vicinity.# When# the# industries# discharge#their#untreated#effluents#in#the#river,#the#contaminants#seep#into#the#ground#water#aquifers.#As# ! ! ! 8!

! alluded# by# the# residents,# a# lot# of# industries# also# discharge# their# untreated# effluents# directly# in# to# the# ground#water#aquifers#thereby#directly#contaminating#them.# ! 3.5 Total Alkalinity ! All# of# the# villages# seem# to# have# a# poor# to# bad# problem# of# alkalinity.# There# seems# to# be# a# remarkable# variation#of#the#total#alkalinity#with#the#depth#of#the#water#source.#While#the#average#alkalinity#of#water# from#ca.#200#ft.#of#depth#was#less#than#400#mg/l,#the#hand#pump#water#had#an#average#alkalinity#of#450# mg/l.# ! 3.6 Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) ! The#TDS#in#water#was#measured#using#a#portable#conductivity#type#TDS#meter#on#the#site.#While#few#of# the#water#samples#did#exceed#the#acceptable#value#of#500#ug/l,#none#got#even#close#to#the#permissible# limit#of#2000#ug/l.#However,#the#fact#that#at#few#locations#it#is#over#500,#it#could#be#an#indicator#of#an# increasing#pollution#load#nearby.#There#seems#to#be#a#slight#drop#in#the#average#TDS#with#the#increasing# depth# of# water# source,# which# could# be# because# of# increasing# pesticide# and# fertilizer# infiltration# in# the# upper#aquifers.# ! 4. Feedback from Community and Observations from the Ground ! Sources#of#water:#Handpumps#are#the#main#source#for#drinking#and#domestic#purposes#and#are#at#a# depth#of#around#100#ft.#Submersibles#and#tubewells/borewells#are#at#a#depth#of#190T220#ft.## # Color#of#the#water:#Most#of#the#community#members#shared#that#the#color#of#the#water#changes#to# yellow#after#some#time,#which#could#imply#high#iron#in#the#water.#The#base#of#the#handpumps#and#the# utensils#used#for#storing#water#also#had#a#rusty#color#signaling#this#possibility.# # Diseases:# Jaundice,# Hepatitis# C,# and# Cancer# are# some# of# the# common# lethal# diseases# in# the# region,# which# can# be# linked# to# consumption# of# contaminated# water.# Buchcha# Kheri# village# in# Kairana# and# Mullapur#village#in#Thana#Bhawan#reported#high#number#of#cancer#patients.#In#Buchcha#Kheri,#some# cases#of#infant#deaths#were#reported#where#the#color#of#the#babies#turned#blue,#which#could#be#a#sign# of#Blue#Baby#syndrome.# # Agricultural#Contamination:#Sugarcane,#a#water#intensive#crop,#is#the#major#crop#in#the#area.#Usage#of# large#amounts#of#harmful#pesticides#and#fertilizers#for#cultivation#is#common.# # Village#Water#and#Sanitation#Committee:#The#community#and#panchayat#members#are#not#aware#of# such#a#committee#and#accordingly#do#not#have#an#assigned#Jal#Mitra#or#Self#Employed#Mechanic.## ! ! ! 9!

! 5. Recommendations – Understanding and Mitigating the Issue of Water Quality ! 5.1. Understanding the probable causes of contamination !

Quality Issue Related health concerns Probable causes of contamination

Any geological and anthropological activity TDS Depends on the composition of TDS through which unnecessary elements get dissolved in water Fecal Poor sanitation conditions. Having soak pits in Cholera, Typhoid, Diarrhea, Jaundice Coliform the vicinity of drinking water sources

Acute toxicity can lead to digestive Mostly because of geogenic factors such as Iron problems the type of rock composition in the area

Cancer, other problems related to High use of insecticides for cultivation in the Pesticides nervous and endocrine systems area

5.2. Mitigating contamination by exploring following possibilities ! Quality Issue Behavioral Solutions Infrastructural Solutions

Install filters TDS Reduce fertilizer and pesticide usage Treat industrial effluent

Fecal Promote sanitation Build sanitation facilities in the area Coliform Consume boiled water Use hypochlorite in households

Keep water in open for an hour after extraction so Construct recharge areas so as to Iron as to allow the oxidation of water. The dissolved dilute iron in ground water iron will then precipitate out by reacting with air

Reduce fertilizer and pesticide usage Pesticides Install water treatment plants Promote organic farming ! ! ! ! ! 10!

! 6. Annexure ! GPS.CoFordinates. Results:.Water.Quality.Parameter. Approx.. Sample.#. Village/.Area. Reference.Point Type. Depth.(in.Ft.) Fecal.Coliform. Total.Alkalinity. Latitude Longitude Elevation.(m) pH TDS.(ppm) Chloride.(mg/l) NitrateFN.(mg/l) Iron.(mg/l) COD.(mg/l) (MPN/100.ml) (mg/l)

1 Unchagaon House-of-Mr.-Janeshwar 29.35517 77.22639 231 HP 100 7.5 344 53 440 12 BDL 0.41 0

2 Unchagaon House-of-Mr.-Ravindra-Kumar 29.35512 77.22626 236 BW 200 7.7 323 42 380 10 BDL 0.11 22

3 Unchagaon House-of-Mr.-Jagpal 29.35507 77.22556 235 HP 100 7.4 331 0 420 20 BDL 0.16 50

4 Unchagaon House-of-Mr.-Arvind-Harijan 29.35347 77.22394 235 HP 100 7.3 669 400 580 72 BDL 0.08 0

5 Unchagaon House-of-Ch.-Devi-Singh 29.35389 77.22014 227 BW 56 7.6 373 43 440 14 0.54 0.05 28

6 Buchcha-Kheri House-of-Ch.-Narsingh 29.35906 77.18872 223 HP 100 7.3 582 0 460 64 6.83 0.20 NA

7 Buchcha-Kheri House-of-Mr.-Rajesh-Kumar 29.36182 77.18684 223 SP 200 7.3 608 57 480 80 0.23 0.08 56

8 Buchcha-Kheri House-of-Mr.-Madan-Raja-Ram 29.36142 77.18628 225 HP 100 7.7 694 0 600 88 4.09 0.21 0

9 Buchcha-Kheri House-of-Mr.-Manghi 29.36388 77.17840 216 BW 100 7.3 488 216 480 56 3.66 0.06 25

10 Mawi School 29.37602 77.15619 221 HP 100 7.6 306 0 180 12 BDL 0.63 28

11 Mawi House-of-Mr.-Virendra 29.37855 77.15714 222 HP 180 7.8 226 89 280 12 0.11 0.04 NA

12 Sahpat House-of-Mr.-Kalam-Singh 29.24101 77.16692 231 HP 100 7.6 315 25 360 12 0.44 0.26 0

13 Sahpat House-of-Mr.-Pramod 29.34184 77.16908 229 HP 210 7.3 541 41 440 58 2.15 0.15 0

14 Mullapur House-of-Mr.-Himmat-Singh 29.57360 77.42844 238 HP 100 8.0 243 0 340 10 BDL NA NA

15 Mullapur House-of-Mr.-Jumma-Singh 29.57552 77.42928 235 HP 100 7.0 681 0 680 106 2.06 0.30 NA

16 Kutub-Garh Primary-School 29.56069 77.43821 293 HP 100 7.7 289 0 280 12 1.29 0.73 45

17 Kutub-Garh Factory-of-Mr.-Arvind 29.56026 77.43728 236 HP 250 7.4 343 74 360 18 1.53 1.31 22

18 Kutub-Garh House-of-Mr.-Jabar-Singh-Saini 29.56013 77.44210 237 HP 100 7.5 346 5 400 14 2.69 0.21 22

19 Kairana House-of-Mr.-Khurshid- 29.38813 77.16692 229 HP 100 7.3 703 25 600 48 6.73 0.31 64

20 Krishna-river PanipatUKhatima-Highway 29.46984 77.36192 216 Surface NA 8.3 1310 NA NA 4 NA 0.47 132 ! !Acronyms:!HP!$!Hand!pump,!BW!$!Bore!well,!SP!$!Submersible!Pump,!BDL!$!Below!Detection!Limit,!NA!–!Not!Applicable! !

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DISCLAIMER: Swaniti Initiative makes every effort to use reliable and comprehensive information, but Swaniti does not represent that the contents of the report are accurate or complete. Swaniti is a non-profit, non-partisan group. This document! has been prepared without regard to the objectives or opinions of those who may receive it.