Fresh alarm bells are ringing over the safety of drinking water in Ludhiana, following a series of tragic deaths linked to water contamination in Indore, Madhya Pradesh. The industrial hub's own fragile water safety infrastructure is now under intense scrutiny, revealing a system plagued by critical gaps and administrative lapses.
A City Without a Safety Net: The Closed Laboratory
The city's first line of defense, the Municipal Corporation's in-house laboratory, has been completely shut down. This closure occurred after the civic body failed to renew the contract for its sole lab assistant and did not purchase the necessary chemical reagents for testing. This facility, which previously conducted only two basic tests, is now non-functional, leaving Ludhiana entirely dependent on external laboratories to verify the purity of its water supply.
Currently, the city relies on the Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) lab for all its water testing needs. Ludhiana's water supply is managed through a decentralized network of 16 sub-zones. Officials revealed that approximately 10,000 water samples were tested last year. While they recorded a contamination rate of 5% in 2025—which they claim was subsequently addressed—the lack of an in-house facility creates major bottlenecks, especially during high-risk periods.
The Chlorination Gap: A Direct Threat to Public Health
The primary source of water for residents is groundwater drawn from more than 1,300 tube wells. Shockingly, 369 of these wells are currently supplying water without any chlorination because they lack the essential dosing equipment. This means nearly 30% of the city's groundwater sources are potentially delivering water without the basic disinfection needed to kill harmful bacteria.
Nodal officer of the Operation and Maintenance cell, Kamal, acknowledged the problem. "We are going to enhance the chlorination of existing tube wells to kill bacteria," he said. "Dozers will be installed at the remaining tube wells shortly; the project report for this implementation is already finalised." However, no concrete timeline for this crucial upgrade has been publicly provided.
Internal Push for a 'Smart Lab' and Public Responsibility
Within the Municipal Corporation, voices are calling for a radical upgrade. An official, speaking anonymously, stressed the urgent need for a government-certified "smart lab" capable of comprehensive chemical and biological analysis. "The MC needs a facility where all types of contaminants can be tested in-house to ensure results are beyond question," the official stated. "If a dedicated lab isn't feasible, we must at least establish a dedicated MC wing at PAU to handle samples in larger volumes on a daily basis."
While the monsoon season sees testing volumes triple to 300% of normal levels to prevent disease outbreaks, officials are also shifting some responsibility to citizens. Nodal officer Kamal pointed out that as the city works on systemic fixes, residents must proactively check their household connections. Aging private pipes could be allowing sewage or contaminated groundwater to seep into the supply, a risk that individual homeowners need to mitigate.
The situation paints a worrying picture of infrastructure neglect in one of Punjab's most important cities. The closure of the testing lab, coupled with the widespread lack of chlorination, exposes thousands of residents to preventable health risks, echoing the warnings from the recent tragedy in Indore.
