Contaminated water takes toll on health of Doda residents

DODA: The Public Health Engineering (PHE) Department in Doda district has allegedly been supplying contaminated water from the Koti Nullah to the Doda residents since the last few months following which people in the area are suffering from serious waterborne diseases.

Sewage around water pipes in Doda district. A tribune photo

Ranjit Thakur

Doda, May 8

The Public Health Engineering (PHE) Department in Doda district has allegedly been supplying contaminated water from the Koti Nullah to the Doda residents since the last few months following which people in the area are suffering from serious waterborne diseases.

The District Hospital, Doda, has experienced an upsurge in the cases related to waterborne infections with the outpatient department (OPD) of the hospital receiving more than twenty per cent patients suffering from waterborne diseases, said hospital superintendent Dr Yaqoob Mir.

“Almost 20 per cent of the patients visiting the OPD are complaining of diarrhoea, typhoid, jaundice and other waterborne ailments,” said Dr Mir.

“Water from Koti Nullah is not safe for consumption. It contains high level of fluoride which is harmful for human bones and teeth,” Dr Mir cautioned.

“The hospital is also receiving same unhygienic water supply. We had taken up the issue with the department concerned number of times, but in vain,” alleged the hospital superintendent.

“Koti is a populated area. People wash clothes, utensils in the nullah. Animals also drink from the water body and same water is being supplied to thousands of people living in the Doda town,” claimed Babur-ul-Islam, spokesperson of the Ababeel, a social group working in Doda.

He slammed the government’s much hyped Doda-Dessa gravity water supply scheme, which was completed a year ago with a cost of Rs 26.32 crore.

The supply scheme was lying defunct since the past few months as the department concerned failed to repair the portion which had been damaged by the recent landslides in the area.

Babur-ul-Islam said the most common reason of contamination was mixing of sewage with water. “Rusty old water pipes, which run parallel to sewage lines, often get contaminated,” he said.

Assistant Executive Engineer, Doda, Sandeep Gupta said: “The major water supply scheme, which covers almost entire city, is damaged due to landslides. We are trying our level best to repair it as early as possible. However, the pathetic road condition is proving a major hurdle in the restoration work as our trucks loaded with material cannot reach the designated area.”

“We are now trying to use small vehicles for carrying material so that we can start the crucial water line again,” he said.