Sangrur, May 21 — Days after lab reports revealed water contamination in eight schools, the district administration has ordered a fresh round of testing to confirm the findings and ensure student safety.
According to sources, 68 water samples were collected between April 1 and May 16 from both private (29) and government (39) schools by the regional water testing laboratory. Test results showed that samples from four private and four government schools failed to meet quality standards.
Deputy Commissioner Sandeep Rishi said the administration was acting out of caution, although no health emergency had been detected. “We are taking a precautionary approach. No outbreak due to contaminated water has been reported,” he said.
An official involved in the testing process, speaking on condition of anonymity, added, “Had the water been severely contaminated, we would have come across several students with waterborne diseases. No such outbreak has been observed so far.”
Most of the schools are reportedly using reverse osmosis (RO) systems, but initial samples were taken from submersible pumps connected to underground water sources, which may have skewed the results.
Dr. Ramesh, a scientist with the regional water testing lab, said that the process of resampling is already underway. “A few schools have already implemented corrective measures and submitted new samples. These have shown significantly improved results,” he noted. He also suggested that differences in water sources and sampling methods could explain the earlier failures.
Initial findings indicated bacteriological contamination in three private and two government schools. One private school had odour-related issues, while two government schools registered excessive fluoride levels in their water.
As a response, the administration is now working to equip all schools with functional RO systems, aiming to prevent long-term exposure to unsafe water and maintain health standards.
