Laboratory Tests Find Unsafe Drinking Water at 145 Punjab Schools in Chiniot

Laboratory testing has found that drinking water at 145 government schools in Punjab's Chiniot district is unsafe for students, according to a report by the District Research Laboratory. The samples were collected from 451 government schools across the district, and nearly a third of them failed to meet established safety standards.

The affected institutions include 36 high schools, 26 elementary schools, and 83 primary schools located in different parts of Chiniot. The findings mean that a significant number of students in the district may have been consuming water that does not meet basic quality benchmarks.

District Research Officer Irshad Ahmed said the tests examined several water quality indicators, including colour, taste, pH levels, and Total Dissolved Solids (TDS). He explained that while TDS levels of up to 1,000 are generally considered acceptable, samples from the affected schools recorded levels exceeding 2,000.

The results have raised serious concerns about potential health risks to students who rely on school water supplies during the school day. Elevated TDS levels can affect water quality and, in some cases, indicate the presence of dissolved contaminants that may pose risks over time.

The disclosure adds to ongoing concerns about access to clean drinking water in public institutions across Punjab. Parents and education officials are likely to look to authorities for a swift response, including water treatment measures and further testing at the remaining schools.

It remains to be seen what remedial steps the district administration and education department will take to ensure safe drinking water is available to students at all government schools in Chiniot.