PSHRC seeks water report over diarrhoea deaths in Kapurthala

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, August 26

The Punjab State Human Rights Commission (PSHRC) has sought a report from the Kapurthala Water Supply and Sanitation Division on the diarrhoea deaths that took place in the district in July end.

Taking cognisance of a complaint by Jalandhar-based social activist Kulwant Nagra, based on The Tribune’s news report, ‘Diarrhoea claims 3 lives in Kapurthala’, published in these pages on July 28, 2024, the commission chairperson, Justice Sant Parkash has sought a report from the Kapurthala Water Supply and Sanitation Division Chief Engineer on the problem.

In a hearing on August 7, the PHRC Chairperson said the matter should be put before the Chief Engineer and directed him to submit the report a week before the next date of hearing (on November 26, 2024).

In his complaint to the commission, the activist stated that the water supplied by the Kapurthala Water Supply and Sanitation Division was contaminated in the Sunder Nagar Kapurthala area.

The activist said that due to this, many people had been reported ill, and several had died. The complaint also questioned inaction despite various complaints to the competent authorities.

Notably, during a diarrhoea outbreak in the Sunder Nagar area of Kapurthala July this year, many people had fallen sick. A total of four lives (formally acknowledged deaths from diarrhoea) had been lost due to the contaminated drinking water being provided in the area.

The problem also brought out in the open an already simmering feud between Kapurthala Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) Rana Gurjit Singh and MC Commissioner Anupam Kler, with Rana blaming her for the outbreak. Rana had also sought a formal inquiry on the problem from the Local Bodies Minister, Balkar Singh, who had gone to visit the patients.

Days into the outbreak, following the loss of lives, the administration later pushed in paraphernalia to clean up clogged drains, remove garbage dumps, and restore clean drinking water in the area. However, amidst the persisting verbal duel between the MLA and the MC Commissioner, the problem has refused to die down.