Kupwara: District Magistrate(DM) Kupwara, Khalid Jahangir Thursday ordered directions for de-silting,cleaning of all filtration plants, service reservoirs, springs etc on immediate basis in the district as the district lab declared the samples taken from two sites as not fit for human consumption and diarrhea outbreak has been hit badly Jaggarpora, Kawari areas of Handwara tehsil.
For this purpose, the Superintending Engineer Hydraulic Kupwara has been directed to ensure de-silting/cleaning of all such existing sources within next 15 days.
Additional District Development Commissioner (ADDC) Kupwara, Aditional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) Handwara and SDMs concerned shall monitor and supervise the de-silting/cleaning works and furnish weekly reports to DC Office Kupwara.
Pertinent to mention that earlier DC Kupwara, Khalid Jahangir visited the diarrhea outbreak affected Jagerpora village of Handwara and issued onspot directions for ensuring preventive measures to avoid any such health issues in future.
The drinking water supplied to two villages of Kupwara district which have been hit by water-borne diseases has been found “unfit for human consumption” as per an official report by health department.
Five days after hundreds of people were taken ill by acute diarrheal diseases and gastroenteritis in Jagerpora and Kaweri villages of district Kupwara, health department has submitted report on the quality of water to the government.
Notably water samples supplied to the villages were tested at public health laboratory Handwara and the report by the lab says that two drinking water sources— a spring and a reservoir in the affected villages are not fit for human consumption as per biological standards.
The water samples have a very high Most Probable Number (MPN), a measurement of degree of contamination by coliform bacteria, responsible for causing diarrhoea and gastroenteritis in humans and its presence in drinking water indicates faecal or sewerage contamination.
As per health department, a coliform count of zero in water gets it an “excellent grade” while a coliform count of over 10 makes it unsatisfactory.
About 20 percent of population of these villages has been hit by the water borne disease and the villagers had accused PHE of suppliying them contaminated water.
An engineer at PHE was suspended recently as well.
In three days, August 10 to 12 August, over 900 people had been treated for acute diarrhoea and vomiting in the twin villages with a population of 4600.
The department has also written to Public Health Engineering department to ensure clean drinking water supply to these villages