C
Shivakumar
Chennai:
Chennai Metro Water has expressed concern over private agencies trying to instill false fear among the residents over the quality of water in the city while trying to promote their products by coming out with flawed surveys.
Hitting out one such survey carried out by Eureka Forbes and GFK Mode that claims 80 per cent diseases in the city are caused by unhealthy drinking water, Metro Water officials said the study is flawed and is more of a marketing gimmick than an indepth study of the city’s water issues as a whole.
The study ‘Kya Aapka Pani Beemar Hai’ has claimed that the city is reeling under severe water contamination severely affecting the health of residents. It also claims 80 per cent diseases in the city are water borne Of these cough, cold and fever constitute 68 per cent of the water borne diseases, the study states.
Metro Water officials said that the study fails to differentiate between water borne and air borne diseases. “It is total nonsense. They say that cold and cough are water borne. These diseases are air borne and spread through what is called droplet infection. These are not water borne. If they cannot distinguish between water borne and air borne diseases they are incompetent to talk about water,” a Metro Water official said.
“Water borne does not mean water supply is bad. It only means that diseases are being spread through water. Source of contamination can come from unclean practices like not washing hands, not storing water properly to unhygienic practices to unclean cooking. This is totally commercial interest masquerading as public interest,” the official said.
Even the sample size is also being questioned by Metro Water. “The sample size is mere 193 households and the study claimed to have come out with hard-hitting facts is nothing but observations without any scientific basis. The campaign is for allegedly creating a scare and promoting a particular product. Eureka Forbes should be sued for making false claims under the advertising standards,” the official added.
Interestingly, of the cities surveyed by Eureka Forbes – GFK, 54 per cent of respondents feel Chennai’s water is safe to drink when compared to cities like Bangalore (39 pc), Lucknow (40pc), Pune (40 pc), Kolkata (46pc), Mumbai (43pc) and Delhi (61pc).
Metro Water official also questioned the samples stating that the Total Dissolved Solids level in city’s water is high. He said TDS level upto 500 is okay. If the water does not have TDS then it is unpalatable, he added.
Chennai Metro Water has expressed concern over private agencies trying to instill false fear among the residents over the quality of water in the city while trying to promote their products by coming out with flawed surveys.
Hitting out one such survey carried out by Eureka Forbes and GFK Mode that claims 80 per cent diseases in the city are caused by unhealthy drinking water, Metro Water officials said the study is flawed and is more of a marketing gimmick than an indepth study of the city’s water issues as a whole.
The study ‘Kya Aapka Pani Beemar Hai’ has claimed that the city is reeling under severe water contamination severely affecting the health of residents. It also claims 80 per cent diseases in the city are water borne Of these cough, cold and fever constitute 68 per cent of the water borne diseases, the study states.
Metro Water officials said that the study fails to differentiate between water borne and air borne diseases. “It is total nonsense. They say that cold and cough are water borne. These diseases are air borne and spread through what is called droplet infection. These are not water borne. If they cannot distinguish between water borne and air borne diseases they are incompetent to talk about water,” a Metro Water official said.
“Water borne does not mean water supply is bad. It only means that diseases are being spread through water. Source of contamination can come from unclean practices like not washing hands, not storing water properly to unhygienic practices to unclean cooking. This is totally commercial interest masquerading as public interest,” the official said.
Even the sample size is also being questioned by Metro Water. “The sample size is mere 193 households and the study claimed to have come out with hard-hitting facts is nothing but observations without any scientific basis. The campaign is for allegedly creating a scare and promoting a particular product. Eureka Forbes should be sued for making false claims under the advertising standards,” the official added.
Interestingly, of the cities surveyed by Eureka Forbes – GFK, 54 per cent of respondents feel Chennai’s water is safe to drink when compared to cities like Bangalore (39 pc), Lucknow (40pc), Pune (40 pc), Kolkata (46pc), Mumbai (43pc) and Delhi (61pc).
Metro Water official also questioned the samples stating that the Total Dissolved Solids level in city’s water is high. He said TDS level upto 500 is okay. If the water does not have TDS then it is unpalatable, he added.
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