12,000 of 41k Maharashtra villages get bacteria-tainted water: Report

KOLHAPUR: At least 12,000 of 41,000 villages in Maharashtra received drinking water contaminated with bacteria, including E. coli, in the 2024-25 financial year, with Nanded, Beed and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar districts accounting for maximum contaminated water, a Jal Shakti ministry's report showed.

The bacteriological contamination involves the detection of Total coliform and E.coli in the water after lab testing. This contamination mainly occurs because of the mixing of faecal waste, both human and animal, in drinking water.
Reports compiled as per the requirements of the Jal Jeevan Mission showed that 13,717 of total 3.23 lakh water samples were contaminated with bacteria in Maharashtra's rural areas during the 2024-25 financial year. The proportion of samples tested and those found contaminated with bacteriological presence has remained more or less similar over the last two years, the data showed.
A senior official of the state water and sanitation department said the water samples were collected randomly. "The water, after pumping, is filtered to settle the residue before treating it with chlorine as per prescribed levels. The chlorine kills the bacteria. The chemical used for testing reacts with chlorine and turns the water into a yellow-coloured liquid. If there is a high amount of bacteria that could not be killed even by the prescribed dose of chlorine, the test shows no yellow colour. In such circumstances, the water sample is tested positive for bacteriological contamination," the official said.
In most cases, the source of water was surface water, such as rivers, and groundwater like wells and tubewells. In the current financial year, 97 tubewells used to supply drinking water to the villages were found contaminated with bacteria. "Most often, the source of contamination is sewage getting mixed into the drinking water supply. The sewage water running openly is a major cause of concern in villages. The pipes continue to burst owing to several reasons," the official said.
Randomly, five women were chosen to collect the samples and carry out the tests. They were given field testing kits, through which the preliminary tests were conducted. In cases where bacteriological contamination was high, the samples were sent to testing laboratories.
Centre launched the Jal Jeevan Mission in 2019 for implementation by the states. Under the scheme, a target was set to ensure 100% tap water supply to households in rural parts of Maharashtra by 2024. As of Feb 2025, the state is short of nearly 1 crore households from achieving the target. Jalgaon, Jalna and Solapur districts are leading in household tap water connections, while Nandurbar, Palghar and Thane are the laggards.
Popatrao Pawar, deputy sarpanch of the ideal village of Hiware Bazar who was conferred with Padma Shri in 2020, told TOI, "A sustainable source of clean water that could last up to 50 years was crucial. We supply water every alternate day only and ensure that every family gets 500 litres once in two days. Our supply scheme is run by women, who ensure the quality of water by regular testing."