Activities of Water Testing Laboratories under Water Quality Monitoring and  Surveillance System (WQMS), in collaboration with PHED, Govt. of W.B.

Two National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) recognized Drinking Water Testing Laboratories (WTL) have been operationalized by the Ramakrishna Mission Lokasiksha Parishad (RKMLSP) of Ramakrishna Mission Ashrama, Narendrapur at its Narendrapur campus and at the premises of Raidighi Nibodhata cluster organization at Dakshin Bayergadi (Near Copanirthek), South 24 Parganas, with support of Public Health Engineering Department (PHED), Govt. of West Bengal.

Water Testing Laboratory at RKMLSP campus was first established under the Joint Plan of Action for Arsenic Mitigation in West Bengal, implemented jointly by the UNICEF and PHED, Government of West Bengal in 2000. Initially, twenty nos. Arsenic Testing Laboratories were established under the State Arsenic Mitigation Program involving the NGOs. Out of 20 Labs, one Lab at RKMLSP Narendrapur was established with the support of UNICEF and PHED for testing of public drinking water sources of Sonarpur and Baruipur blocks.

Lab at Raidighi Nibodhata was established with the support of PHED, Govt. of West Bengal in the year 2006 under National Drinking Water Quality Monitoring and Surveillance Program. 

The geographical area of intervention of the two Water testing laboratories in South 24 Parganas District includes –

  1. Joynagar- I (Overseen by RKMLSP, Narendrapur)
  2. Joynagar-II (Overseen by RKMLSP, Narendrapur)
  3. Kultali (Overseen by Mathurapur, Raidighi Nibodhata Cluster organisation)
  4. Kulpi Block (Overseen by Mathurapur, Raidighi Nibodhata Cluster organisation)

 So far as activities of Water testing laboratories (WTL) are concerned, the general activities of WTL include –

  • Regular testing of water samples of public drinking water sources and educational institutions including Anganwadi Centers, Health Care Facilities.
  • Testing of water samples of Private water sources on payment basis in Kolkata and Surrounding area (as per stipulated rate).
  • Testing of Turbidity level, Hardness, Total Dissolved Solid, Iron, Arsenic, Manganese, Bacteriological and pH level etc. of potable water sample collected from public and private water sources.
  • under a rigorous monitoring system, thirty three (33) Water Facilitators are collecting water samples from Government water sources and the related test reports are shared with the concerned Gram Panchayats and Blocks.
  • All reports excluding private samples are uploaded in the PHED’s Water Quality Dashboard.