Condition of drinking water testing labs in Delhi is worrying, only 8% labs have NABL recognition
The condition of government laboratories that test the quality of drinking water in the capital Delhi has turned out to be very bad. While the process of upgrading water testing labs to international standards (NABL) under the Jal Jeevan Mission is going on rapidly across the country, Delhi seems to be the most backward among all the states and union territories in this matter. This situation raises serious questions regarding the monitoring of drinking water in the capital and the health of the people.
Only less than 8% labs are recognized
According to TOI report, there are more than 25 public water and wastewater testing laboratories under the Delhi government, but only two of these labs have NABL accreditation. Both these labs are Haiderpur and Wazirabad zonal labs of Delhi Jal Board (DJB). The report has revealed that the NABL recognition of the remaining labs of Delhi Jal Board had expired in October itself, which has not been renewed till now. The most shocking thing is that the main lab of Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), which tests the quality of Yamuna river water every month and on whose reports the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) also depends, is also deprived of NABL accreditation.
Why is NABL accreditation important?
NABL is an autonomous and national level accreditation body responsible for ensuring that the tests conducted by any laboratory are accurate and reliable, in accordance with international standards. Reports prepared without NABL accreditation are not accepted as valid evidence in courts or international agencies. In such a situation, the legal and technical credibility of the reports coming out of these labs is almost lost.
What is the condition of other states?
According to a December 2025 document from the Jal Shakti Ministry, there is huge variation between states in NABL accreditation of public water labs across the country. 100% public labs in Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Sikkim and Nagaland are NABL accredited. 98% labs in Haryana, 94% in Assam, 66% in Uttar Pradesh have got recognition. Only one of the 11 labs in Andaman and Nicobar has received NABL accreditation. But Delhi’s figure is less than 8%, which means the capital is lagging behind in terms of almost all recognized labs. There are a total of 2,847 water testing labs under Jal Jeevan Mission across the country, out of which only 1,678 (59%) labs have received NABL accreditation. Delhi is proving to be the most backward area in this comparison.
deep impact on health
Delhi has seen a sharp surge in cholera cases this year, highlighting the lack of clean water and poor waste management. Old pipelines, industrial waste and pollution are seriously affecting the quality of the capital’s drinking water. Environmental activist Pankaj Kumar (Team Earth Warrior) says, “This is a matter of national shame for the capital. Without NABL accreditation, there is no confidence in test reports. Yamuna river and sewage treatment plants are not being properly monitored.” Data obtained from RTI revealed that most of the 37 STP (sewage treatment plants) plants in Delhi did not meet the standards in June 2025. These plants failed in important parameters like fecal coliform, BOD, TSS. But in the official data of DPCC, the same plants were shown fit on all parameters. This difference has raised questions about how reliable water testing is in Delhi.
Ray of hope?
A Delhi government official has said that the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) has applied for NABL accreditation for some labs. However, no response has been received from DPCC on this. The official feared that if the quality of water testing and labs was not improved soon, the health of the capital’s residents could be in serious danger.
Follow the LALLURAM.COM MP channel on WhatsApp
Click to read big news of India and abroad
Click here to read Read.com news in English
Click here to read sports news
Click to read big entertainment news
Comments are closed.