A Preliminary Survey on the Status of Drinking Water Quality in the Lower Primary Schools in Bongaigaon Block of Bongaigaon District of Assam

The present study conducted during the months of January to July, 2019 had been aimed at assessing and comparing the drinking water quality with WHO (World Health Organisation) standards in the lower primary schools of different clusters of Bongaigaon block in Bongaigaon district of Assam. Out of 271 lower primary schools of this block; 50% of the schools were selected randomly for collection of water samples to assess eleven parameters – pH, Turbidity, Iron Content, Nitrate, Chloride, Hardness, Fluoride, Arsenic, Manganese, Residual Chlorine and Bacterial content. Out of the 136 schools selected at random; the primary water source for 33, 46, 47 and 10 number of schools is Deep Tube Well, Hand Tube Well, Tara Hand Pump and Ring Well respectively. In all these water samples pH, Chloride, Hardness, Fluoride and residual Chlorine were found within the permissible limit but the other parameters- Turbidity, Iron, Nitrate, Arsenic, Manganese and Bacterial content were found beyond the permissible limit in some water sample. The paper indulges in deep findings and analysis of these water samples and has attempted to display the results as appropriately as possible.