Budgam, Mar 14: The residents of Ohangam and Huklatri villages in the Beerwah Tehsil of Central Kashmir’s Budgam district are demanding access to proper filtered water supplies from the Public Health Engineering Department. Currently, the villages are receiving stream water supplies into their homes.
Mukhtar Ahmad, a resident of Huklatri Village, stated that their village has been using unfiltered stream water for the past 15 years. He added that the village has a filtration plant that is not being utilized, resulting in the consumption of impure water. Ahmad reported that the village experienced jaundice cases and one case of hepatitis-A in February. District IDSP team Budgam, along with the Block Beerwah Rapid Response team, visited the village twice and collected water samples, which were deemed suspicious for consumption.
Abdul Hamid Dar, a local resident from Ohangam village, added that they have been receiving improper drinking water supplies for the last 7 years, causing health-related issues in the village. The water comes from a stream that is not filtered, and the garbage dumped in it has degraded its quality. Dar urged the PHE Department to provide filtered drinking water supply to their village.
On February 21, 2022, the district IDSP team collected water samples from both villages. The results showed that the tap water samples were unsatisfactory for consumption, while the spring water was deemed excellent.
An official from the Public Health Engineering division in Budgam stated that they will provide filtered water supply to Huklatri and Ohangam villages within the next six months.
