Doda district faces threat of water-borne diseases

Ranjit Thakur

Moochan (Doda), May 3

Doda residents are facing impending threat of water-borne diseases as the crucial water treatment plant in the city has been defunct for the last six months and people are forced to drink untreated water.

Situated about 5 km away from Doda town, Public Health Engineering (PHE) Department’s water filtration plant in Moochan village is not working smoothly as its clarifier and circular are defunct and unable to blend chemicals such as alum and chlorine in the water properly.

Locals complained that unfiltered and muddy water was being supplied to them without any filtration. Since December 1, 2015, to January 15, 2016, 361 jaundice cases have been reported in the town. “We are consuming the contaminated water that is being supplied to us. I drank tap water after boiling it and fell ill last month. I was diagnosed with hepatitis A,” a local said.

A six-member special squad was constituted by the Deputy Commissioner, Doda, in 2015 to check the quality of water. “Out of the 18 water samples collected by the team from various sites in Doda, 13 of them were found unsafe for consumption,” said a member. Later, a report submitted to the DC clearly mentioned that water in the distribution system at the consumer end was not safe for drinking.

Mohammed Iqbal, a doctor, said, “Water-borne diseases are always on the higher side in Doda town owing to impure water supply and there are sporadic reports of jaundice and hepatitis.”

Executive Engineer, PHE, Doda, Wahid Zarger said, “I have been facing a huge staff crunch as there is no Assistant Executive Engineer posted here since October and none of the lower staff member is technically trained. They have no knowledge how to use chlorine. Now I am training them.”

“Owing to shortage of manpower, we cannot do daily sampling,” he said.