Epidemic threat looms large over Jammu  

399 water samples out 606 declared unsafe for drinking

 Contains E. Coli Bacterium that may cause water borne diseases   

Arvind Sharma

Jammu Tawi, Mar 01: In a shocking revelation, the majority of the water samples collected by the concerned agencies from different areas of the Jammu province have been found to be not safe for drinking after their testing in the high-tech laboratory at Jammu.

As per the official figures available with the Northlines, a total of six hundred and six (606) water samples were collected from different areas across Jammu region out of which three hundred ninety nine (399) were found to be ‘unsatisfactory’.

These water samples were collected in the last fourteen (14) months i.e. from January last year till February this year from different parts of the Jammu Province from different sources including schools, government offices, public places, hostels, border areas, Public Health Engineering (PHE) Deptt supply tanks & taps and other institutions.

A total of 606 water samples were tested in the last more than a year in the high-tech Microbiology Laboratory at Government Medical College and Hospital-Jammu (GMC&H-J), the premier hospital of this region.

Out of these 606, a mammoth 399 water samples were found to be ‘unsatisfactory’ for drinking and were not upto the safety standards. This in turn means that the water in majority of the areas of Jammu region is not safe for drinking and may result in serious health issues.

As per the laboratory reports, the harmful Bacterium E Coli was found in 399 contaminated water samples collected from across the region.

1. Coli is a bacterium normally found in the human intestine. Its presence in water indicates contamination through sewage or animal waste. Consumption of such contaminated water can cause diarrhoea, nausea, fever, and other water-borne diseases.

Only 207 water samples were found to be satisfactory after testing and were safe for drinking. The samples were tested each month at the GMC laboratory.

The highest 126 water samples were received at GMC’s Microbiology Laboratory in the month of September last year, out of which 89 were found to be unsafe for drinking and did not meet the safety standards, the report revealed.

In January this year, a total of 89 water samples from across the Jammu region were subjected testing and 49 samples were found to be unsafe for drinking.

Sources said that use of contaminated water may lead to serious water borne diseases if corrective measures are not taken well in time to make the water safe for drinking.

This February, a total of 15 water samples have so been tested at GMC-Jammu, out of which eight (8) have been found to unsafe for drinking.

Sources informed that the exercise to collect water samples from different areas for testing has been undertaken on a large scale to prevent the outbreak of epidemic and take adequate steps to make sure that people do not get affected by water borne diseases.

The Samples Lab-Testing report has been reportedly submitted by the GMC Jammu to the Government; however, the decision of the government about advising remedial measures remains a mystery as no public advisory has been noticed in the public domain.