Pakistani People in Sambrial city forced to drink contaminated water

SIALKOT, May 12, 2011 (PPI): As many as 34 out of total 36 water filtration plants have been lying out of order in Sambrial city , while two such plants were working to quench the thirst of the more than 1.2 million population of Sambrial .

The water filtration plants were installed in several parts of Sambrial city several years ago have been lying ineffective and out of ordered due to the alleged slackness of Sambrial Tehsil Municipal Administration (TMA).

These plants were got installed for providing the potable drinking water facilities to the local people. Reportedly, all the taps and pipes from these plants have already been stolen by unknown people and there was no concept of cleanliness there in these water filtration plants.

Local social, political, religious and business circles have expressed grave concern over this nasty situation, demanding the Commissioner Gujranwala Division and DCO to take serious notice of this situation and make some effective measures for the early rectification of these plants in the larger interest of local people.

Locals said that they had repeatedly bought this matter into the notice of Sambrial TMAs concerned officials but they had allegedly turned their eyes blind towards this matter.

On the other hand, the contaminated water heavily loaded with toxic pollutants emitting out of the tanneries set up in the area between Upper Chenab Canal (UCC) and canal Marala Ravi Link (M.R.Link) near Sambrial is infiltrating into the water table and is not only diminishing the fertility of the soil but also posing the human souls with the worst possible threat by causing almost incurable maladies of respiratory tact and digestive systems.

It was revealed in a recently conducted survey by a local NGO ‘Baidarie’ on the topic of hazards posed by the use of contaminated water and need and utility of the use of safe drinking water.

President of NGO Baidarie Arshad Mehmood Mirza told the newsmen at Sambrial that the use of polluted water has considerable heightened the graph of the Water Borne Diseases (WBDs) in the Sambrial area.

He said that local people have urged the government to immediately step up to effectively implementation on the relevant rules and regulations, besides, bounding the factory owners to treat the water containing chemical waste before pouring it into water channels.

He said that the local people have also strongly criticized the Sambrial Tehsil Municipal Administration (TMA) arrangements for the provision of safe drinking water to the local people.

The local people of Sambrial have demanded the immediate installation of water filtration plants, removal of the rusted water supply pipe lines, penalizing of the shopkeepers who supply the adulterated food stuff to the common run of people.

When contacted, the Sambrial TMA officials pledged to take proper care of the demands of the public and to ensure the early installation of more water filtration plants and rectification of above-mentioned out of ordered water filtration plants in Sambrial on top priority basis