Lucknow: Drinking water supplied in as many as 12 localities of the city was found to be lacking in ‘adequate purification’ required for drinking purpose, a survey has found.

Samples from even posh areas like Raj Bhawan Colony and Hazratganj were found to be unfit in the joint survey conducted by Jal Sansthan and district health authorities.

Teams from Jal Sansthan and the chief medical officer’s office tested 80 water samples from different parts of the city between March 7 and 9 for chlorination levels. Of these, 12 samples showed that chlorination level was below the required limit in these areas.

While three samples each from Rana Pratap Marg and Husainabad were not found up to the mark, two samples from Hazratganj could not qualify the test. Similarly, chlorine levels were found to be lower than the mandate in a sample each from Raj Bhavan Colony, Lakshmanpuri Colony on Faizabad Road, Indiranagar sector 14 and Daulatganj.

Confirming the survey report, Jal Sansthan general manager SK Verma said, “We have given directions to engineers concerned to properly check the chlorination level in water before releasing it for supply to households. We will conduct another round of tests in a few days.”

Water conservationist Ajay Agnihotri, who has worked with Pune Municipal Corporation and is settled in Lucknow, said, “Chlorine is a highly efficient disinfectant. About 0.2 to 0.4mg is added in every litre of water to kill disease- causing viruses and bacteria. Drinking water in which chlorine level is not up to the required capacity can lead to diseases like cholera, dysentery, diarrhoea, lead poisoning and malaria, among others.”

Low chlorine level means proper treatment was not done before supply. He also added that chlorination levels drop in piped supply when much of the power of the disinfectant goes in fighting contaminants that seep into the pipelines because of leakages.”