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The contaminated drinking water supply in Himachal Pradesh has caused a dangerous diarrhea outbreak. The Nadaun sub-division of Hamirpur district has surpassed more than 1,000 diarrhea cases in the past few days due to water pollution. According to health department officials, the number of people affected by the water-borne disease outbreak has surpassed 1,200 but the exact figures are not revealed yet. Worryingly, the numbers are expected to go up.
The highly affected regions from the Nadaun sub-division are Kandrola, Banh, Rangas, Jandgi Gujran, Panyala, Kandrola, Jandali Rajputan, Sankar, Thain, Jol-Sappad, and other panchayats. The residents of these villages in Hamirpur are complaining of diarrhea and vomiting after consuming contaminated drinking water that was supplied by the water department from nearby khads.
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In response to the water-borne disease outbreak, HP Chief Minister, Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, has ordered the District Administration and the Health Department to take good care of the patients. The assigned authorities are working dedicatedly to treat patients and also collect water samples for examination.
District health officer Sanjay Jagota has urged people in the affected regions, as well as nearby villages to drink only boiled water until the outbreak is controlled. He also mentioned that chlorine tablets also have been distributed in these regions to clean the water sources of the affected villages. Furthermore, Asha workers are also visiting door-to-door to get information about patients while instructing them to take precautions.
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Likewise, Shima city is also at higher risk of a water-borne disease outbreak. Since the SJPNL (Shimla Jal Prabandhan Nigam Limited) and Jal Shakti Vibhag were not abiding by the prescribed regulations, Chairman Pollution Board Sanjay Gupta brought up the matter with Principal Secretary (Urban Development) and Secretary (Jal Shakti Vibhag).
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As of now, Jal Shakti Vibhag runs 70 sewage treatment plants throughout the state, whereas SJPNL runs six sewage treatment plants in Shimla. By not following the National Green Tribunal‘s mandated norms, both organizations have put the residents at risk of consuming poorly treated water from rivers and other natural resources, which could expose people to several diseases.
According to Gupta, the Pollution Control Board will closely monitor the problems with the sewage treatment plants and take appropriate measures to resolve the existing situation.
Via: TOI | The News Himachal