Ganderbal, Aug 25: Residents of Shahpora village of Ganderbal district on Friday staged a protest against PHE department. They alleged that PHE has failed to supply clean drinking water to the households here.
Protesters said a week ago hundreds of people fell ill in Shahpora and Reshipora villages of Ganderbal due to contaminated water. “Water supply was cutoff to our village following the outbreak of diseases and when the water supply has been resumed, diseases have again hit us.”
“PHE has not done their work properly. They hastily cleaned water reservoir which supplies drinkingwater to our village,” they said.
They further said a Medical team collected water samples here and it was found that water is contaminated. PHE was in a denial mode before water sample report came out. They claimed water was clean. “Now after medical report found water contaminated, they are again saying water is clean.”
When Contacted CMO Ganderbal he said: “As per results of water samples taken earlier, the drinking water was found contaminated. Now we will again collect samples for testing, from sources of water which is being supplied to these villages.”
“We have sent medical team to the area and are monitoring the situation closely,” he added.
Speakingto Kashmir Images Executive Engineer PHE said, “I acknowledge that early water sample was contaminated. It was due to dense cover of plants and grass near the water source which is a spring. We have properly cleaned the reservoir and the place of water source.”
He further said, “We will again collect samples of water for testing and if necessary we will start an inquiry.”
