Municipal Wastewater Connection for Water Crisis and Jaundice Outbreaks in Shimla City: Present Findings and Future Solutions

Abstract

The felicitous tourist destination “Hills Queen” and the capital city of Himachal Pradesh, an enticing state in the Himalayan region, are met with water crisis every year and jaundice outbreaks occasionally. In 2016, there was a severe jaundice outbreak in Shimla city. In a contemporaneous investigation, we attempted to trace out the possible reason for these crises in Shimla. Samples were collected month wise from different water-supply sources and their physicochemical and microbial loads were analyzed. The microbiological examination found a totally excessive microbial load (1.064 × 109 cfu/mL on common) throughout the year with a maximum (>1.98 × 1010 cfu/mL) in the wet season and minimum (>3.00 × 107 cfu/mL) in the winter. Biochemical and morphological evaluation confirmed that most of the water resources reported a high number of coliforms and Gram-negative microorganisms due to sewage-water infiltration. These microorganisms in the water are responsible for the liver infection that ultimately causes jaundice. For safe and potable water, infiltration of municipal wastewater must be prevented at any cost. Scientific disposal of wastewater and purification of uncooked water have to be conducted earlier than consumption or use for different domestic functions, to avoid water crises and fetal ailment outbreaks in the near future.