Kulgam, Feb 25: The deteriorating water quality of the Veshaw River – a major tributary of River Jhelum – from Khudwani in south Kashmir’s Kulgam district poses a serious health hazard.
Veshaw River which passes through Kulgam villages provides drinking water facilities to Kulgam and Anantnag districts.
The people living along its banks have turned the river into a cesspool. There is untreated sewage on the banks which has hugely degenerated the quality of water in it.
Bashir Ahmad, a local resident of Turka-Tachloo, told Rising Kashmir that the people residing near its banks are responsible for worsening the quality of water.
“People use the river as a garbage dumping site,” he said. “Even near health centres, soiled baby diapers, syringes and other medical wastes are found.”
“Sewerage pipes and toilets are unabatedly ruining the river which then finds its way back to households in the form of contaminated water and finally results in water-borne diseases,” Bashir added.
Another local from Rehpora village, Ghulam Hassan, said that a few months back when two minors died of Hepatitis-A in Anantnag’s Turka-Tachloo village, people start blaming the Jal Shakti Department for not providing them quality water.
“The truth is that it is the villagers who degenerated the mineral water quality of Veshaw by throwing poultry, human feces and animal excreta in it which causes a number of water-borne diseases,” he said.
The locals said that no proactive steps are being taken to dispose of the garbage properly.
The government should take strict action against those using the river as a dumping site, said Imtiyaz Ahmad, a student. He said the authorities should identify the culprits and take steps towards the conservation of the river lest it gives birth to more water-borne diseases.
“The government should set a solid waste mechanism on river banks which could only relieve the area from unauthorised waste dumping,” he said.
Senior research scholar SKUAST, Dr Rouf, who researched the water quality of the Veshaw River said, “The water samples were taken at six different locations along the Veshaw River to examine the fecal contamination of drinking water. In all the seasons, the highest coliform bacteria was recorded at Sangam. The existence of coliforms in water indicates fecal contamination and determines the presence of disease-causing pathogens.”
Executive Engineer Jal Shakti Department Kulgam, Shahnawaz Ahmad told Rising Kashmir that on average, over 15 million gallons of drinking water is supplied to the district from the Veshaw River every day.
“From Nehama to Khudwani, the water is eligible for drinking but from Khudwani to Sangam, it has been contaminated by the residents as they created dumping sites on its banks,” he said.
Assistant Executive Engineer Bijbehara, Nayeema said that on average, over 1,05,000 gallons of water from the river is supplied to 916 households of the Bijbehara division.
She said it is the responsibility of the people to protect the river from pollution rather than blaming the government.
Another official from Jal Shakti Department, Gulzar Ahmad Mallah said it needs community support to preserve the river from pollution. “Our religious leaders and scholars should also play their role by advising the people about the importance of natural resources,” he said.
