MUZAFFARABAD (Kashmir English): In an alarming situation, people in Muzaffarabad are forced to drink contaminated water and falling victim to various epidemic diseases, including hepatitis.
Numerous water springs in Muzaffarabad city are causing to spread diseases as residents have been forced to drink contaminated water with public health officials turning a blind eye.
Laboratory In-charge Wasim Abbasi has said that the Public Health Department is working tirelessly. He said they receive water samples for examination every three months.
“Last year, water from 27 springs was tested, out of which water at only one spring was potable; all other springs were contaminated.”
Wasim Abbasi said that the public should not leave everything to the government, rather, they should also take action themselves. “There should be awareness among the public about what they need to do. Water maintenance is not solely the job of the government… the public should also be concerned about its maintenance and cleanliness and realize that they should keep their home tanks clean.”
He said they residents should protect pipelines from sewage water adding new pipelines should be laid.
The Department of Environmental Protection, the Department of Public Health, and other institutions responsible for provision of potable water to the residents are turning a blind eye towards the situation.
Muzaffarabad springs
According to a report by the Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources, water from 26 out of 27 natural springs within the municipal limits of Muzaffarabad is unfit for human consumption.
