Kota: Drinking water supplied to a govt upper primary school in Kota, where at least 27 children fell ill on Aug 24, has tested positive for severe bacterial contamination, with coliform levels as high as 2,400 MPN/100 ml — against the required safe standard of zero coliform.The contamination was confirmed in a testing report by the Public Health Engineering Department’s Regional Laboratory in Kota. The samples were collected from Govt Upper Primary School, Puniya Devari, in Puniya Devari Basti, after children allegedly fell ill following the mid-day meal.Official reports have now confirmed that the students fell ill due to contaminated water, not the mid-day meal.The school, which has 130 students enrolled, falls in Ladpura constituency, represented by ruling BJP MLA Kalpna Devi. It is barely 10 kilometres from the residence of state education minister Madan Dilawar.The laboratory report, issued earlier this week by the Office of the Senior Chemist, PHED, found alarmingly high coliform bacteria levels in water available to students on the school campus and in nearby tubewells.Water stored in a clay pot on the campus, tested as ‘Lab Sample No. 1280′, showed a coliform count of ‘2,400 MPN/100 ml’.Two nearby tubewell sources, which supply water to the school in the absence of an individual tubewell or pipeline connection, also tested unsafe. One sample, ‘Lab Sample No. 1281’, recorded ‘2,400 MPN/100 ml’, while another, ‘Lab Sample No. 1282’, recorded ‘1,100 MPN/100 ml’.Experts in the area said safe drinking water must contain 0 MPN coliform. They noted that the absence of residual chlorine meant the water was entirely untreated, unfit for consumption or domestic use, and comparable to sewage water.Education department officials said recent heavy rainfall likely exacerbated groundwater contamination in the region.Executive Engineer of PHED Kota, Jeevandar Rathore, confirmed that the coliform content in water supplied to the school was “very high”, reaching up to ‘2,400 MPN/100 ml’.He said drinking water must contain ‘0 MPN coliform’, and any presence of coliform above that is highly harmful to health.Rathore said official intervention began immediately after students fell ill on Aug 24. Once laboratory results confirmed coliform contamination, PHED carried out intensive chlorination for two to three hours continuously across the two affected tubewells.The school administration and principal were formally instructed that the tubewell water was non-potable and must not be used.The school has now arranged temporary alternative drinking water through water campers.For a permanent solution, PHED has coordinated with Jal Jeevan Mission project contractors to release a new pipeline connection for the school. Officials said efforts are also underway to resolve temporary low-pressure and timing issues to ensure regular supply.School authorities have been strictly directed not to use unapproved or untested private water sources in future without prior sample testing and official approval.Rupesh Kumar Singh, Deputy Director, Education Department, Kota, also confirmed severe bacterial contamination of 2,400 MPN/100 ml x7 in drinking water supplied to the school.He said the matter was taken into immediate cognisance and directions had been issued to provide clean drinking water to students. Water campers will be supplied until a permanent alternative is secured.
