Mahto at the news meet. Pix: Ashok Karan

Ranchi, Jan. 5: Flashing chemical test reports of supply water from three filtration plants in the state capital, drinking water and sanitation minister Jaleshwar Mahto claimed that the quality of water being supplied by plants was up to the mark and any private body was free to conduct chemical test of water on his own.

In the next breath, he also said the ruckus over the quality of water was being raised by some vested interests in a calculated move to divert people?s attention from ?some other issues?.

The minister, who was talking to the newspersons at his residence, however, refrained from linking the ?some other issues? to the fight over scrap dealing.

Referring to the chemical tests, he said: ?Our laboratories at the filtration plants have conducted the purity test of water samples taken from nine different places in the city, including Booty reservoir and different consumer points. We have found that they conform to the Indian standard of drinking water quality.?

According to a report released to the newspersons, the samples tested on different parameters were taken on December 29. The minister also released a report by the special branch of police, which had conducted an inspection of the Rukka filtration on the same day. The special branch report, however, appears to have given a clean chit to the department after a spot examination of the availability of chemicals and their visible quality.

?So far as the issue of poor quality of water filtration is concerned, I would like to say that whichever plant has a problem with the dosing and mixing machines, chemicals are mixed in the water manually, as there is no dearth of alum, lime, bleaching power as has been highlighted,? he said.

According to the chemical test report of supply water, turbidity, pH, hardness, chloride, iron and nitrate levels were found to be ?within the permissible limit set by the Bureau of Indian Standard?. The department, however, did not furnish the result of bacteriological and bio-chemical oxygen demand tests. The minister said he would ask his engineers about this.

He, however, admitted that there must have been some problem with the network of ?old pipelines?. ?In our bid to do away with the old pipes, we have decided to spread internationally accepted and most durable DI pipelines in all our new projects,? he said, adding that the department would see to it that existing network of pipelines were properly maintained.

Asked about the association of ?controversial? chemical supplier Rajkumar Bubana of Swati Industries with his political party JD(U), the minister said: ?So far as supply of chemicals to our filtration plants are concerned, I would like to point out one thing that supply of alum, lime and bleaching powder is made by not one suppliers, there are different suppliers registered with the industries department. As for Bubana, his being JD(U)?s treasurer has nothing to do with his being one of the suppliers.?