10
REPORT OF THE KING INSTITUTE,GUINDY
Ellore.— Slow sand filtration was not efficient.
Erode.—This supply has been poor, probably because, as reported by the Sanitary Engineer,
the mechanical filter plant has not been worked satisfactorily.
Kumbakōnam. —The recommendation, based on experiments carried out at the institute and
on the spot by the Senior Bacteriological Asistant, on the clearing of the water after a small dose
of lime and the prevention of growth of iron bacteria, has not been carried out, and the physical
appearance of the water is therefore still bad and uninviting although bacteriologically it is one of
the best in the Presidency.
Negapatam.—An initially fair supply at the Headworks which is 7 miles away from the
town has been found to undergo serious deterioration in transit.
Salem .—Owing to scarcity, two auxiliary supplies had to be used, viz., an infiltration gallery
and the Arisipalaiyam Tank. Systematic chlorination has been in vogue throughout the year, but
greater facilities are required for proper chlorination at the Headworks of the two sources (filters
and infiltration gallery) whose individual needs for chlorine are different.
Tiruvannāmalai.—The results of the examinations do not show any improvement over the
conditions that obtained last year.
Tuticorin.— The supply is derived from an irrigation tank and is not filtered. Chlorination
is carried out in the service reservoir but subsequently serious pollution takes place in the distri--
bution. The chief reason is that users are allowed to dip their own dirty vessels into the service
cisterns.
Vellore. —Reference was made to the Polar well, an auxiliary supply, in the last year’s
report. This well water was systematically examined monthly during the year. Except on one
occasion in the month of September 1927, following the rains it was of fair quality.
3. Jail supplies.—The wells in all the jails except Rajahmundry, have yielded
only polluted water. Systematic chlorination was reported to be in vogue and the
chlorinated supplies except at Alipuram and Palamcottah were uniformly good.
At the request of the Jail Superintendent the well in Calicut Sub-Jail was
included in the routine analysis. This well is badly polluted and systematic
chlorination is essential.
It is not known if “local investigations to determine why the water in
these usually deep wells should be so badly polluted ” as were recommended last
year, have yet been carried out.
4. Railway supplies.—As already noted, 32 new stations were added to the
list of railway stations the water-supplies at which were periodically examined.
Details are given in Table XIV.
Among the new stations, the following yielded badly polluted water, viz.,
Arni Road, Bellary, Calicut, Chingleput, Chicacole Road, Dhronachalam, Gudur,
Hospet, Kā lahasti, Madanapalle, Mangalagiri, Nandyal, Ongole, Tinnevelly
junction, Tiruvann ā malai and Tiruvālūr junction. Systematic chlorination was
recommended. In some of these stations, e.g., Bellary and Madanapalle, the
wells were liable to dry up during the hot weather and water had to be brought
in railway wagons from other stations. Such water was also of poor quality.
The water of the well at Ongole is totally unfit for use and the tapping of another
source is essential.
Of the 18 stations on the old list, the supply at P ā kāla and Waltair and
from the old well in the Tanjore station yard, and the new well in Jalarpet
junction were bad. Chlorination was inefficient at P ā kāla and Naupada and not
uniformly efficient at Calicut.
On the South Indian Railway, the system of supplying chlorinated water in
open buckets by water carriers prevails at some stations. It was pointed out
that it would be preferable to have the water issued in cans with lids and
spouts, but the recommendation has not been accepted. At Shoranur there are
stand pipes on the platform bearing a label “ Not for drinking.” The attention
of the railway authorities was invited to the fact that it was not advisable to
supply non-potable water through stand pipes, as there was always the grave
risk of the warning being disregarded by the travelling public. So far no action
has yet been taken.
The water-supply at Hospet calls for special remark. One of the two wells
used is really a cistern fed by the drainage water from neighbouring plantations.
Needless to say it will always be dangerous to use.