Tired of BMC ignoring the issue of continuous release of sewer water into Powai Lake, an NGO got the lake water tested in a government laboratory. And, the finding was alarming – it has high levels of E. coli and is not fit for drinking.

Using this report, the NGO has now written to MP Poonam Mahajan, who is also the chairperson of State Animal Welfare Board, Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB), Animal Husbandry Department and BMC, seeking immediate action as this water with high bacteria is supplied to animals in Aarey Colony tabelas and labourers working there for drinking.

According to Sunish Subramanian, secretary of PAWS-Mumbai, he collected water samples from three locations, including a tabela, and sent them for testing to prove the point that sewage was being continuously released into the lake, thereby posing a threat to not only the lake's flora and fauna, but also to those who were supplied this water. "We collected water samples from a tabela at Unit 26 of Aarey Colony, Small Ganpati Visarjan Ghat and from lock number 11 and 12 at Powai Lake. The samples were then sent for testing to Maharashtra State Public Health Service, District Public Health Laboratory," shared Subramanian.

He informed that as per the report, the water from the lake had both coliform as well as thermo-tolerant coliform count of more than 16/100mL. It was inferred that this water was not suitable for drinking purposes. The chemical analysis reports also indicated that the waste was not industrial but only residential.

Dr Vandana Panda, associate professor, KMK College of Pharmacy, Mumbai, said coliform count should always be zero and such a high count only indicated that this water was unfit for drinking or supply to dairies. "These are pathogenic organisms and their presence will mean spread of water-borne infections. Their presence in the lake water indicates high level of contamination," she said.

In fact, as per veterinarians, water with such high coliform contamination is not fit for consumption for cows and buffaloes as it can bring them water-borne diseases, which contaminate even their milk.

Dr Prasanna Hendre, who treats cattle from Aarey regularly, said that though they had not yet got cases of buffaloes falling sick, the high level of E. coli was always a concern. "Cattle are ruminating animals with four stomachs. Three of their stomachs have very high levels of bacteria present already. I have been treating cattle from Aarey for quite some time now but have never come across any case of diarrhoea in spite of them depending mostly on water from Powai lake," he said.

However, high E. coli levels in drinking water was always a worry and a major concern as it could affect animals as well as the humans using it. "We have spoken to a few tabela owners, who informed us about cases of buffaloes suffering from diarrhoea and other health issues very often. Also, we cannot wait for all the animals to become sick and their milk to affect people to wake up to stop sewage contaminating Powai Lake," said Subramanian, threatening that if no action was taken, then they would be forced to knock on the doors of judiciary as a last resort.