Anantnag: Amid an outbreak of Jaundice at Gutligund Veerinag area of Anantnag District in Jammu and Kashmir, the screening process is going on by the Health Department in the said area even as the Jal Shakti Department has said the tap water was suitable for drinking.
At least 27 people, mostly children, have contracted the infection, which authorities suspect is linked to contaminated drinking water supply.
However, as per the report by the Jal Shakti Department, previously Public Health Engineering Department (PHE), the tap water supply to the area is suitable for drinking. The department, in its report, has claimed that all parameters regarding drinking water were tested according to the guidelines of the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) and found to be within permissible limits. “No hazardous contents were found in the water, which can be harmful to health,” the report reads.
Meanwhile, the Government Medical College (GMC) Anantnag has formed a five-member expert team to investigate the cause of the mass illness. The team is tasked with identifying the possible source of contamination, implementing preventive measures, and providing necessary health care interventions and submit an action plan to the Principal of GMC Anantnag by the end of this month.
Deputy Commissioner of Anantnag, Syed Fakhr Ud Deen Hamid, along with the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) of Anantnag and Jal Shakti Department officials, visited the Jaundice affected village. They appealed to people not to panic, advised them over the use of proper boiled water and emphasized the importance of maintaining proper hygiene.
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