4 February, 2010 - Many Thimphu residents, not to mention people
in other parts of the country, drink water straight from the taps,
oblivious to the contaminants in it.
The taps in most homes are sourced from huge tanks above their
buildings, which over time gather mosses and other harmful chemicals at
its base.
If left uncleaned, these sediments contaminate the
water, which then flows into homes causing numerous waterborne
diseases.
Sonam Dorji, who owns a mobile car cleaning
business in the city, on seeing an announcement for a need of a regular
water tank cleaner, jumped at the opportunity, seeing prospects of an
extended business venture.
Sonam Dorji, along with his six workers, began
their water tank cleaning business yesterday. They involve six
mechanical steps in the process.
First they flush out the water from the tank,
clean the tank lid and its surroundings of algae, dirt and mud. They
then clean the inside.
A special high-pressure jet is used to remove the
sludge and contaminated water formed inside the tank. Thick sludges
bedded inside the tanks require a vacuum cleaner for removal, including
an industrial pump, which completes the cleaning process by cleaning all
the remaining dirt inside the tank.
The tank is sprayed with special anti bacterial
agents to sterilise the tank and a UV radiator is used to kill suspended
or floating bacteria remaining in the tank.
Sanam said water tanks required cleaning once in
at least three months to ensure safety.
“Most building owners clean their tanks once a
year or every two years,” he said. “This is unhealthy because, the
longer one puts off cleaning the tank, the more contaminants it
gathers.”
The director for public health department Dr Ugen
Dophu said that contaminants like stool, tiny debris and harmful
chemicals were present in water.
“Chemical contaminants present in a water tank
effect the user depending on their dosage,” Dr Ugen Dophu said, adding
that they could cause diarrhoea, dysentry, skin and eye infection,
typhoid, fever and hepatitis A. “Small doses of the chemicals overtime
can lead to other diseases and, in the long run, lead to cancer,” he
said.
Dr Ugen Dophu said between 40 and 50 percent of
the total patients visiting hospitals across the country suffered from
diseases related to water contamination.
“It’s listed among the country’s top ten
diseases,” he said.
By Sonam Lhamo
Source: http://www.kuenselonline.com
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