Why Water-borne Diseases Are Still a Problem in India? Water-borne diseases are illnesses caused and transmitted by the use and consumption of contaminated water. The long list of water related diseases and conditions include:
Anaemia Ascariasis Botulism Diarrhoea Dracunculiasis Fluorosis Hookworm infection Japanese encephalitis Lymphatic filariasis Malaria Malnutrition Polio Ring Worm Tinea Scabies Schistomiasis
According to gastroenterologists in Patna, who work at one of the best hospital for gastroenterology there, water-borne diseases are still a problem in India, in rural as well as urban areas of the country. The reasons for this, as these experts working at a super-speciality hospital in Patna describe, are not one, but plenty.
Let’s have a look at these.
Piped Water Supply: In India, the concerns with piped water remain in terms of cross contamination with a sewage system in certain cases. Piped water is ideally provided as a continuous supply, which is not the case in India. Most of our urban areas have timed water supply. This leads to increased risk of contamination due to the low pressure that develops in the system. Bottled Water: The bottled water business is not an efficiently regulated industry in our country. The mineral content in bottled water is not regulated. The other issues with bottled water are the environmental contamination due to the increase use of plastic, which is a petroleum product. Bottled water can have physical and chemical contaminants. Physical Contaminants: Physical contaminants can sometimes be found within piped water and even bottled water, even though it has been quality checked. Pieces of plastic, glass or industrial supplies may enter the water during the bottling process. As the liver specialist in Patna explains, if these contaminants are ingested, they can cause stomach and other health problems. Chemical Contaminants: Contaminants, such as lead, arsenic and benzene, may be present in bottled water and pipe water. If chemical contaminants build up to high levels they can cause a range of health complications. Overhead Tanks: The overhead tanks contain water in a stagnant condition. Stagnant water is an ideal environment for proliferation of bacteria. The best gastroenterologist in Patna states that plenty of disease causing organisms can be found including salmonella, giardia, vibrio cholera etc. The tanks have to be cleaned periodically in order to avoid these problems.