Water in 161 borewells and open wells in the villages around Vrushabhavati, Koramangala, Challaghatta and Hebbal valley is highly contaminated and unfit for drinking. A study conducted by the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) following a direction by the lok adalat of the Karnataka High Court Legal Services Committee, states that water in these borewells is not potable. Briefing about the finding of the study to the adalat comprising Justice K L Manjunath of the High Court and member A N Yellappa Reddy on Tuesday, KSPCB Chairman Sharathchandra said hazardous chemicals were found in many of the 161 water samples. He added that coliform bacteria was found in all the 161 water samples and it indicated the presence of pathogens (disease-causing organisms), which could cause communicable diseases like diarrhoea, typhoid etc.