PANAJI
A day after the media widely reported a study which revealed presence of microplastics in tap water in certain parts of Goa, the Public Works Department (PWD) on Thursday criticized the report of the Delhi-based NGO Toxic Link and sought to assure the general public that water supplied by it is safe for drinking.
"There should not be any fear and anxiety in the minds of the people...the Public Works Department informs the general public that the drinking water supplied by them in the State of Goa is safe and fit for human consumption," said a release issued by the PWD a day after sections of the media widely reported the findings of the Toxic Link research, which was headed by a scientist of NIO Mahua Saha.
Saha too clarified on Thursday that the report indicates the "presence of microplastic" in tap water and reservoirs and does not assess the quality of drinking water.
"The report only indicates the presence of microplastics in tap water and in water reservoirs. The findings of the current report does not make any assessment on the quality of drinking water," Saha said.
"Hereby, on behalf of NIO, I would like to clarify the finding of microplastics in Tap water was a academic study, which only shows the presence of microplastics in tap water, however this results never state the tap water is unsafe and unfit for drinking," Saha said.
The PWD meanwhile took strong objection to the fact that neither the research agency (Toxic Link) nor Saha had approached it while conducting the study.
"The authenticity of this team led by Dr Mahua needs to be looked upon and the team has to indicate/inform the reasons why testing was not carried out in other states and also for bottled water and what are their future plans," the PWD said, adding that the findings were also not shared.
"PWD is responsible for supply of water in Goa and it adopts the procedure for testing of water quality samples as per CPHEEO Manual and IS 10500:2012 and detailed analysis for Physical, Chemical and Bacteriological analysis are carried out every day at all the Water Testing Laboratories and only after the quality of drinking water conforms to the prescribed limits as per IS 10500:2012 is supplied to the consumers," the PWD statement said.
Testing is also carried out at strategic locations and at consumer points on a regular basis, it added.
The PWD also said that the World Health Organisation (WHO) which monitors and oversees air, water and health and issues periodic guidelines, does not mention testing of the microplastic content parameter. It also said, that no manual or procedure available across the world has this parameter for testing.
According to the PWD statement, the WHO report on 'Microplastics in Drinking Water' published in 2019, states that chemicals and microbial pathogens associated with microplastics in drinking water poses a low concern for human health.
