Bhopal, Apr 24: A novel scheme is being implemented to rid villagers of polluted drinking water in the rural areas of Madhya Pradesh. Under this scheme, now the villagers would be able to test purity of water in just Re 1. The test would be conducted by trained members of Gram Panchayats. They are being imparted specialised training in this connection. Amount to be incurred on water testing would be mobilised through public participation.

State's Public Health Engineering Department is conducting National Rural Drinking Water Quality Monitoring and Surveillance Scheme. Under the scheme, five activists from every village have been selected for specialised training in testing water sources and ensure quality through water testing kits. The tests would be conducted at Gram Panchayat level.

So far, 6,700 selected villagers have been imparted training at state, division, district and block levels. Field kits are being provided after the training. The trained persons would organise awareness camps with a view to apprising people of various aspects related to water quality.

All the potable water sources including government and private ones would be identified under National Rural Drinking Water Quality Monitoring and Surveillance Scheme. Through field kits, physical and chemical tests would be conducted once a year and bacteria tests would be undertaken four times per year. Additional test can be conducted under special circumstances.

Thirty percent of samples collected through field kits would be tested at district laboratories and ten percent at Bhopal-based State Research Laboratory. For this Re 1 would be charged per family per year. This process would be undertaken at Gram Panchayat level. Every village would be provided one field kit.