Urpash village residents in Ganderbal complain of contaminated water supply

Kangan, Sep 12: The residents of Urpash area in Ganderbal district are aghast over the unsafe drinking water supplied to them. The residents said that they are receiving the contaminated water, which is unfit for consumption. Residents here have complained that they are being supplied contaminated water for past some time due to which several people including children of the area have fallen sick with water borne diseases.

"The residents are living in a constant fear of an epidemic outbreak as many people in our area suffering with the water borne disease due to the consumption of contaminated water” said Fareed Ahmad a local resident.

He said that the water they are using unfit for use, adding that even the streams and source of water is polluted with people throwing garbage, even dump cow dung alongside the water sources which eventually get into the water and make it unfit for use. The locals said the concerned Jal Shakti officials are hardly visible in the area. “Despite several reminders, they never bothered to carry analysis of water source to ascertain whether it is fit for human consumption or not,” they added.

District Health Officer Ganderbal, Dr Nighat Bashir told Greater Kashmir that they had sent their medical teams to the area and organised awareness and health check up camps. She said that the PHE officials have also been informed to take measures so that the people are provided potable drinking water to avoid any water borne diseases.