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'HAR GHAR NAL SE JAL’ BY 2021

Young Bites. Dated: 1/25/2020 11:48:42 AM

Even though water is abundant, the amount of potable fresh water available is a tiny fraction of the total amount of water in the world. Rivers are the most important water resources. Unfortunately, the rivers are being polluted by disposable of sewage, industrial waste which affects its microbiological quality, making it unsafe for consumption. The major diseases that are attributed to environment pollution and poor drinking water supply include Cholera, Shigellosis, Diarrhoea due to E. coli, Poliomyelitis, Typhoid, water borne viral hepatitis etc. As in most parts of India, the ponds, rivers, canals, wells, etc. are also the common water sources in J&K catering the needs of both man and animals. Union Minister of State for Rural Development, Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti's on her visit to J&K has assured that every household of Union Territory of J&K would have tapped water by 2021 in the first phase of 'Har Ghar Nal Se Jal' mission. Till date despite of large number of new water supply schemes to overcome problem of drinking water, a population of only 35 percent get water from treated sources. According to the official data, around 65 percent population in erstwhile J&K state had access to tap water of which 34.7 percent got water from treated sources and 29.2 percent from untreated sources.6.5 percent people used well water of which 1.9 percent are uncovered wells and 4.7 are uncovered wells. Rest of the population got unfiltered water from springs, lakes, canals and other water bodies. Medical experts are of the opinion that the percentage of people in J&K suffering from various abdominal disorders, including liver and kidney ailments are the result of consumption of untreated water. According to the guidelines, it is mandatory that all the drinking water sources have to be tested once in a year for chemical contamination and twice for bacteriological contamination. People quiet often complain that unfiltered and muddy tap water is supplied to them without any filtration being done. In J&K thousands of water supply schemes were taken up for execution over the years, majority of them have not been completed thus forcing people to consume water from the contaminated sources. In some areas, water is being supplied through water tanks while in some areas people fetch water from streams and rivers without being filtered. With the assurance of Union minister, people are quiet hopeful that the promise will be kept and by 2021 every household will get tap water. The water filtration plants should be taken seriously and timely check of water should also be done so that the people who are accessible to tap water get filtered and well treated water supply so that water borne diseases do not spread.