DJB alleges manipulation of samples in BIS report

New Delhi: Delhi Jal Board (DJB) Vice Chairman Dinesh Mohaniya on Thursday cited "serious procedural lapses" in the report presented by Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) on Delhi's water quality.

Addressing the media at Delhi Secretariat, Mohaniya alleged that all samples were picked up from the members of Lok Janshakti Party (LJP). "The samples were completely manipulated. We have got the details of those 11 samples. The first sample is from Deepak Kumar Roy. When we contacted him, he categorically told that no water sample was taken from his address. The second and third samples were taken from Ram Vilas Paswan's house and office respectively. The fourth sample is from the address of Pooja Sharma, Vice President of LJP. The next sample was taken from Ilyasi's house, and he testified that no BIS officials, but LJP workers procured the sample," said Mohaniya while addressing a press conference at Delhi Secretariat.

He also said that another sample was taken from the address of Roop Kishore, which Mohaniya alleged doesn't exist. "Why water samples were collected only from people associated with one party? Why LJP workers, not BIS officials collected the samples?" asked Mohania asked, while detailing the violation of Standard of Procedure (SoP) in testing the water quality in Delhi by BIS.

"Violation of the Standard of Procedure (SoP) in testing the water quality in Delhi erodes the credibility of BIS", he added.

A row over the tap water quality in Delhi began on November 16, with Consumer Affairs Minister Ram Vilas Paswan sharing a report by BIS, which said that Delhi's tap water was the worst among major Indian cities.

"We also got the BIS report. Neither the range nor the details of the findings of individual samples were given in the report. No standard procedures were followed in the process," he added.

He added that samples from 11 samples from the same place and the testing are in progress. "Biological treatment as part of testing takes 48 hours, hence the results are awaited. Once the findings are ready, we will make them public. No one should panic about the water quality in Delhi," added Mohaniya.

DJB also said that they further plan to collect large number of samples from various parts of the city. "We work transparently and as per the SoP, therefore the DJB assessment of water quality is highly reliable and as per the WHO norms ," said Mohaniya.

Adding that the clearance rate is within WHO norms, the vice chairman asserted, "Every year, DJB tests

lakhs of water samples. The clearance rate is comfortably within the WHO norms. Third party tests including those of the Central government PSUs validate the DJB tests. Even the samples taken by the BJP ruled MCDs also passed the quality tests."