Health team visits Gurdaspur village, collects water samples

Ravi Dhaliwal

Tribune News Service

Gurdaspur, September 14

Deputy Commissioner (DC) Vipul Ujwal on Friday asked civil surgeon Dr Kishan Chand to visit Khojepur village here to assess the damage being inflicted on human lives and livestock due to standing water.

The Tribune had highlighted in its columns on Friday that how stagnant water was leading to vector-borne diseases among villagers.

The DC said he had instructed the civil surgeon to do a comprehensive survey of the village and also assess the damage being done by contaminated water.

The civil surgeon dispatched a team comprising Ranjit Bagh SMO Dr Parveen Kumar, Dr Romi and district epidemiologist Dr Vandana. The team collected samples of drinking water and also distributed chlorine tablets among the villagers.

Villagers were asked to drink boiled water and were also educated on hazards of consuming contaminated water. Anti-larval measures were also undertaken. It causes reduction or permanent elimination of mosquito breeding sites.

The DC said he had also instructed the Water Supply and Sewerage Board and the Panchayati Raj Department to work out a solution that would ensure that stagnant water flows into the village pond and then into the agricultural fields.

“The administration is aware of the problem. A delegation of villagers also met me in this regard. We are working out a permanent solution and by the end of this month the villagers will get some respite,” said the DC.

Sarpanch Ramesh Kumar said the situation was turning from bad to worse. He, however, welcomed the efforts of the DC in taking up the cause of the villagers. “Such visits should be a regular feature in the future,” he added.