Clean water and sanitation is one of the important constituents of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which is a 15 year agenda (2015-2030) adopted by UN in 2015. Clean Water and Sanitation figuring at serial 6 of SDG stresses on water, sanitation and hygiene also called WASH. In-fact access to safe water and sanitation are human rights, as recognized in 2010 by the UN General Assembly. Recently Greater Kashmir carried a news article titled “Doodh Ganga, drinking water source for Budgam, Srinagar areas, turned into dumping site”. Having spent my childhood on the banks of Doodh Ganga locally called Chaz Kull, I feel horrified and traumatized today when I happen to pass through the banks of this Kull. I remember how much fascinated we used to feels as kids while enjoying swimming in Doogh Ganga during summer months. Today as we claim to have become much developed and educated , my head bows down in shame when I see all the solid and liquid waste finding its way into Doodh Ganga. The worst part of it is that this polluted water continues to be lifted at Doodh Ganga water treatment plant located at Kralpora in the outskirts of Srinagar. The said water is supplied to a huge population in Srinagar. On one side United Nations and Governments across the world stress upon better sanitation, scientific waste management and supply of safe drinking water to people, authorities on the other hand along with local population of Chadoora continue to dump solid and liquid waste into the waters of Doodh Ganga.
Doodh Ganga Water Supply scheme
As Srinagar city started expanding by late 1960s there was a demand to have another water supply scheme for Srinagar other than the one at Nishat. In the year 1972 unit 1st of Doodh Ganga water treatment plant was commissioned at Kralpora Chadoora. With the passage of time three more units were added to this plant. On one hand all the fecal matter , solid and liquid waste right from Branwar to Kralpora via Surasyar, Dadompora, Zoohama, Sogam, Chadoora, Wathoora enters into waters of Doodh Ganga and on the other hand same water is lifted at Kralpora. After some so called treatment by chlorination, this water is supplied to residential areas like Chanapora , Gulshan Nagar , Natipora , Jawahar Nagar , Rajbagh , Wanbal , Rangreth , Rawalpora, Pir Bagh, Hyderpora, Burzulla, Parray Pora upto Tengpora bridge plus several areas in Budgam district as well. I believe out of Srinagar’s 15 lakh population, at least 6 to 7 lakh people take water supplied from Doodh Ganga. As a consumer I want to ask Public Health Engineering department (PHE), can your chlorination and filtration at Kralpora plant make Doodh Ganga water safe for drinking ? Carcasses of animals like cattle , dogs are seen floating in this nallah , hundreds of lavatories enter into it , plus all the solid and liquid waste is also thrown into Doodh Ganga , is it possible PHE can make this water clean ? I am not blaming PHE alone but we all are collectively responsible for this mess. Had our planners and engineers set up Doodh Ganga plant in the upper reaches of Chadoora in early 70s, I think situation would have been different today. Liver ailments, cancers, kidney diseases and other gastro intestinal diseases are at rise and I can say with authority that intake of unhygienic water is one of the important factors for occurrence of these diseases.
Chlorine and Cancer
In almost 100 % of Government water supply schemes in Jammu & Kashmir chlorine is used in abundant quantity. I am not an authority to speak on this issue , but after some internet search I found some astonishing facts about excessive use of Chlorine in water which our public health experts / researchers need to look into. We don’t use chlorine because it’s the safest or even the most effective means of disinfection, we use it because it is the cheapest. In spite of all our technological advances, we essentially still pour bleaching powder in our water before we drink it. The long term effects of chlorinated drinking water have just recently being recognized. According to the U.S. Council of Environmental Quality, “Cancer risk among people drinking chlorinated water is 93% higher than among those whose water does not contain chlorine. Dr. Joseph Price wrote a highly controversial book in the late sixties titled Coronaries/Cholesterol/Chlorine. He concluded that nothing can negate the incontrovertible fact, the basic cause of atherosclerosis and resulting entities such as heart attacks and stroke, is chlorine.
Conclusion
In order to provide safe drinking water to people , J&K Economic Reconstruction Agency (ERA) has achieved 95 % physical progress on laying of Raw water pipeline from higher reaches of Doodh Ganga Nowhaar to Kralpora water treatment plant. Now water from Doodh Ganga will be lifted at Nowhaar which is 18 kms up Kralpora. It is given to understand that by the end of May 2018, 12 Million Gallons ( 12 MG) of fresh water will be lifted at Nowhaar every day and out of it 10 MG / day will be supplied to Kralpora plant. This water after treatment will be supplied to areas already mentioned above. 2 MG of raw water will be supplied to small water supply schemes around Chadoora as well.
Nowhaar is not the last village located on the banks of Doodh Ganga. There are more than half a dozen habitations like Bonyaar, Pethyaar, Surasyaar, Check Surasyaar, Brenwar etc where from water comes down to newly established mega water supply scheme at Nowhaar. Population in these habitations will increase in the coming years. Right now lot of fecal matter , solid and liquid waste continues to enter Doodh Ganga around these habitations especially in rainy season. Immediate attention of authorities is sought on following points :
Government in order to ensure supply of safe drinking water to Srinagar , Chadoora and adjoining areas must declare these villages Open Defecation Free (ODF) and small Sewerage Treatment Plants (STPs) must be established in all these villages / habitations so that not even 5 % of the liquid waste enters into Doodh Ganga. Scientific solid and liquid waste management programme must be put in place in Chadoora town and adjoining villages as well. Research on side effects of excessive use of Chlorine during water purification must be conducted. No more water be lifted from Doodh Ganga at Kralpora after commissioning of Nowhaar water supply scheme.