nto ground water Even as authorities fail to ensure mandatory norms for septic tanks, people in Kakinada express concern over increased levels of ground water contamination due to seepage from these tanks.
The developing port town of Kakinada is headed for an ecological disaster. It’s ground water table is getting polluted; the wetlands are being encroached upon and ongoing acquisition of land continues relentlessly along the coast to set up a Special Economic Zone (SEZ). A coastal corridor is also envisaged for further industrial development.Citizens are anxiously expressing concern over increased levels of contamination of ground water due to seepage from septic tanks, especially in and around municipal areas.
While granting approvals for construction, the town planning authorities have done nothing to ensure that mandatory design norms are followed for the construc tion of septic tanks in residential and commercial buildings.
Specific norms instruct the use of bricks of 200 mm thickness for the walls of septic tanks; the use of cement and sand in a 1:3 ratio; a 12 mm thick cement coat on either side of the brick walls; and cement plastering on the basement of the tank to avoid percolation of water into the ground water table.
The town planning authorities are clearly failing in the implementation of these norms. Regular clearing of septic tanks filled with human waste, is not taking place. Some septic tanks are overflowing, while others have connected outlets to the municipal sewage system.
This is resulting in seepage from septic tanks into the ground water table.
A large number of people especially those living in multi-storey buildings, depend on ground water.
Their drinking water is drawn through borewells. In case a borewell is dug in the vicinity of leaking septic tanks, the water being drawn through borewell will surely be contaminated.
The regional branch of the National Institute of Hydrology at Kakinada, recently conducted a study on the quality of ground water, which was found to have a high concentration of nitrates. Effluents from septic tanks have high concentrations of ammonia, and once ammonia mixes with soil, it becomes a nitrate.
Nitrates can rapidly percolate into ground water table.
The NIH drew ground water samples at several places within the municipal limits, and discovered concentration of nitrates ranging between 85 and 100 mg in a litre of water, against the permissible limit of 45 mg per litre.
The National Institute of Hydrology Deltaic Centre, chief and scientist, Dr Ramji Satyaji Rao, who carried out a study for his doctoral thesis on the quality of ground water at Kakinada said, “The high concentration of nitrates in ground water will result in long-term health hazards for those who consume them. Though the municipal corporation supplies treated water, several people depend on ground water for drinking purposes.
Those who live in peripheral areas of the town, are totally dependent on ground water. If the government ensures construction of septic tanks as per norms, we can control contamination of ground water.” The Government General Teaching Hospital’s head of department (medicine), Dr K.S.R. Swamy said, “Water that is consumed with high concentration of nitrates will affect the liver, pancreas and haemoglobin levels in the blood.” Adding to the septic tank nightmare, the poorly maintained sewage network is also leaking and further contaminating the ground water table.
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