Contaminated tap water responsible for diarrhea outbreak in Kupwara village

Srinagar: A preliminary investigation has reviled that the diarrhea outbreak in a village in the frontier district of Kupwara happened due to contaminated tap water used by the people of the area.
The Assistant Commissioner Food Safety Kupwara said preliminary investigation and feedback from the affected persons reveal that the outbreak was not due to the consumption of any unhygienic food items in village Jagerpora.
He said the outbreak happened due to tap water used by the people of the area.
The Food Safety Office Kupwara further said that the water sample from the source has been collected and sent for testing.
Earlier in the day, Deputy Commissioner Kupwara, Khalid Jahangir, had constituted a team to investigate the outbreak and asked them to submit the report in the evening.
An official spokesperson said that in order to take stock of the situation, Mr Jahangir on Sunday visited Jagerpora, Handwara in Kupwara.
He interacted with the locals of the village, and enquired about the health of the affected. The DC also inspected the mobile medical camps to check the treatment facilities available.
The DC constituted a team comprising ADC Handwara, SE Baramulla and Chief Medical Officer Kupwara to conduct a detailed enquiry about the outbreak and to receive feedback from the people. Mr Jahangir had asked the team submit the enquiry report by evening today.
The Deputy Commissioner also inspected the spring that functions as the main source of water for the village and issued on-spot directions to Exen PHE Department to mobile resources on war footing for expediting the on-going renovation, repair and protection work on the water body.
Mr Jahangir assured every possible assistance, including financial support from the district administration to the concerned department and directed the Exen PHE Handwara to complete the work within one week.
The DC also directed the Health department to ensure availability of physicians, para-medics, medicines for the quick recovery of the affected and conduct awareness campaigns to fully aware and inform the people of the village and vicinity about sustainable access to safe drinking water. He instructed the officials of health department to advise people to drink boiled water and to take all necessary precautions.
He said that the district administration and the health department is well equipped and geared up to deal with such issues and all preventive measures to avoid recurrence of such public health issues have been taken.