news details |
|
|
| 170 people fall sick in Kathua, courtesy negligent approach of PHE Deptt | | | Arun Trisal
Early Times Report
Billawar, Oct 14: Atleast 170 people fell sick due to consumption of contaminated water supplied by the Public Health Engineering (PHE) Department which failed to repair the worn put old pipes which make water supply prone to mix with dirty sewage water.
Sources alleged that due to lackadaisical approach of the PHE Division Billawar and its field staff which utterly have failed repair the leakages.
"Around 120 person of a village in the home constituency of Deputy Chief Minister J&K at Billawar and nearly 50 in Barnoti, 7 km from Kathua town suddenly fell sick due to alleged consumption of contaminated water courtesy negligent approach of PHE Department.
Pertinently an RTI and its reply (Xerox copies) in possession of ET correspondent has revealed that J&K government has allocated Rs 4.12 Crore to PHE under different schemes from finance session 2013 -14 to 2015-16 for maintenance and repair of machinery with the aim to facilitate people hailing from tehsil Billawar, District Kathua.
"Ironically the funds have not been utilized at ground level, the RTI vide PHEK/C/1881-84 dtd 16/6/2016 virtually revealed and further exposed defunct position of the machinery of the PHE department. Officials allegedly squandered funds meant for repairing of PHE machinery, the local sources said, adding, "the people were left to feel the burnt."
Meanwhile 120 people of village Banore tehsil Mahanpur complained outbreak of some water borne disease later the sick were shifted to PHC Mahanpur which already had insufficient space i.e. PHC Mahanpur has only 2 rented rooms.
Agitated over their kins falling sick the locals have demanded action against PHE officers who squandered funds meant for repairing of PHE machinery and shortage of facility for water treatment. The angered people demanded strict action and high level inquiry against PHE officials who were supplying impure water to the village.
Champa Rani, Ashok Kumar and Jagtar Singh villagers of Barnoti also rued that diseases like Skin, joint pain, diarrhea are reported in the area since past few years.
They said, 'the matter has been highlighted before concerned authority but no action has been taken to repair defunct PHE machinery despite assurancesin this regard.'
Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Kathua too has confirmed water borne diseases at both the place and informed that medical teams led by concerned BMOs had been rushed to collect samples while preventive measures too had been taken to control the diseases. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
STOCK UPDATE |
|
|
 |
| BSE
Sensex |
 |
| NSE
Nifty |
|
|
| |
CRICKET UPDATE |
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
