While siting a new hand pump in a village, the recommended minimum horizontal distance between the well or hand pump and the nearest pit latrine is:
- A 5 metres
- B 15 metres
- C 30 metres ✓
- D 100 metres
Correct answer: C. 30 metres
Explanation
Standard sanitation practice requires a minimum separation of 30 metres between a water source such as a well or hand pump and a source of contamination such as a pit latrine or soak pit. This distance limits migration of faecal organisms through the subsoil into groundwater. A 15 metre separation may be acceptable only where soil conditions and direction of groundwater flow are favourable, so 30 metres remains the defensible general rule taught in Indian PSM texts.
Reference: Park's Textbook of Preventive and Social Medicine, 26th ed.
High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP
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