The Public Health Engineering (PHE) department is supplying contaminated water in Batote, Banihal and Ramban, the locals alleged on Tuesday.
The residents of Ramban town, Chanderkote, Seri and Pernotecomplained that the water supplied by the department is “unsafe” and “full ofimpurities”.
“The water that is supplied to us has a pungent smell.Besides, it is murky,” they alleged.
Accusing the concerned department of ignoring hygiene, theresidents said, “The department seems to have forgotten that polluted waterposes serious health threats.”
Some villagers claimed that there have been instances whenthey found snakes and other poisonous insects in the supplied water. “As thepipes have become rusty and leaky, the water being supplied from them hasbecome contaminated,” they said.
“The funds provided for repair and maintenance for waterpies and water reservoirs are not utilized by the engineers. For instance, thedepartment has tied rubber or small gunny bags to stop the pipes from leaking,”they claimed, asking, “How is this hygienic?”
The residents sought the Governor’s intervention andrequested that it is high time the damaged pipes are repaired and replaced andsafe drinking water is supplied to them.