Study finds 75% of wells contaminated A study of groundwater conducted across the district has found that 75 per cent of the water resources in 22 grama panchayats along the banks of the Kadalundipuzha and the Chaliyar are polluted. Apart from the usual pollutants, the rivers in these panchayats are polluted by various kinds of waste, including that from hospitals and putrefied coconut husk. From the rivers, the pollutants reach the water sources in the vicinity. Use of pesticides and insecticides is the main reason for water pollution in the Karuvarakundu region. The presence of sulphur has been found in the region, scientists said at a workshop on ‘water pollution and public health' held here on Thursday. They said that wells on the banks of the Chaliyar and the Kadalundipuzha were becoming increasingly polluted. E.coli bacteria was found in the water sources in large amounts. Of the 3,400 wells examined, 83 per cent were found to have been polluted by E.coli bacteria transmitted through human excreta. Because of sand and softness of the terrain, pollutants from the river and septic tanks reached the wells quickly, they said. No protective walls Fifty-five per cent of the wells inspected did not have protective walls. They said that failure in maintaining stipulated distance between wells and septic tanks was the main reason for the transmission of E.coli bacteria. There should be at least a distance of 7.5 metres between a water source and a septic tank. Yet, bacterial transmission can be effectively prevented only if there is a distance of 15 metres, they said. Water pollution in forest regions was quite less. Bacteria transmitted slowly through earth, but their movement was much faster in sandy areas. Bacteria moved up to five metres a day in soil, the studies said. The presence of fluoride in water too was harmful to health. Fluoride was found mostly in Palakkad and Alappuzha districts. The workshop underlined that protecting wells and other water resources was the only way out to prevent diseases. P. Ubaidulla, MLA, inaugurated the workshop. Scientists P.S. Harikumar and Puranthara Bakel were among those who led the workshop. Delegates from Malappuram and Thrissur districts attended. Study in panchayats along Chaliyar, Kadalundipuzha Pesticide use main reason for water pollution