Ranchi, Sep 21: Unidentified criminals on Friday snatched a rifle from a policeman sipping tea near the Jharkhand Chief Minister's official residence here on Friday but flung it after being chased by the police.

According to police, the incident took place near Ram temple on Kanke road, just 300 metres from Chief Minister's heavily guarded residence.

A group of policemen from the Police Control Room were having tea when one of them asked a motorcycle rider to halt.

The youth suddenly snatched the rifle from one of the policeman and escaped along with an accomplice on the bike.

As the police personnel pursued them, the criminals threw away the weapon near Morabadi ground but managed to escape.

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Bengaluru: As summer intensifies across Karnataka, the state government is preparing to initiate a special campaign to test drinking water across the state.

A directive is expected to be issued to all chief executive officers of zilla panchayats, instructing gram panchayats within their jurisdictions to conduct water quality tests, as reported by The New Indian Express on Thursday.

Karnataka has around 6,000 gram panchayats and their staff have been trained to conduct field tests. They check the water quality for 12 parameters, including potential of hydrogen (PH), chloride, fluoride, iron, nitrate, alkalinity, residual chlorine, and total dissolved solids. The hydrogen sulfide test is also conducted to check the presence of bacteria.

The testing has been made mandatory after several drinking water contamination cases have been reported over the years across the state, added the report.

Anjum Parvez, Additional Chief Secretary for Rural Development and Panchayat Raj, said that water quality testing is routinely mandated twice a year—once before and once after the monsoon season.

“During pre-monsoon, groundwater level goes down and the quality of water has to be checked. Post monsoon, the flow of water is more, and the threat of contamination is not high, but even then water is tested. Potable drinking water is our priority,’’ TNIE report quoted Parvez as saying.

He also noted that panchayat development officers and engineers regularly inspect water supply pipelines for leakages.

The state government has taken disciplinary action in past cases involving supply of contaminated water and is now conducting special campaigns to prevent such incidents.