PESHAWAR, Jan 31: Consumption of contaminated water is causing the spread of diarrhoea and other water-borne diseases in the Shangla district of the province, according to doctors.

They said that following the Oct 8, 2005, earthquake, the situation had become precarious because the infrastructure had collapsed and people had no option but to use polluted water.

Citing a report of the Health Management Information System of the health department, they said 60 per cent of people visiting hospitals suffered from stomach-related problems caused by consumption of contaminated water.

Sources in the NGO called Pakistan Community Development Programme, which is carrying out rehabilitation of 10 water schemes in Shangla and Kohistan districts, said even pregnant women and children had to climb mountains to fetch water, which was affecting their health.

Roads, hospitals and other facilities are in dilapidated conditions due to which civil society organisations are also facing hardships. Donor organisations have shifted their focus to quake-hit districts, but Shangla is yet to catch the attention due to its inaccessibility.

Oxfam had provided Rs5 million for rehabilitation of 10 water schemes in Shangla and Kohistan districts, which along with Abbottabad, Balakot and Mansehra were hit by the earthquake.

People of the area had to use spring water, which was not fit for human consumption, an NGO activist said, adding that water flowed from hilltops and got contaminated on its way to the ground because animals also consume it.

“Our report suggests that most of women and children are anaemic,” said a doctor working in the Shangla district.

He said they had completed rehabilitation of four water supply schemes, one each in Puran and Alpuri and two in Kohistan. “To provide clean drinking water to people, we cover the source of water supply and test it before making it available to people.” “We want the government to adopt durable strategies because projects carried out by donors often remain ineffective, especially when they abandon such schemes,” the doctor added.

Sources said the people of the area being under the influence of the local clergy had a negative opinion about NGOs due to which most of activists were reluctant to visit the area.

“The district council and tehsil municipal administrations also seem to be doing nothing,” said a doctor. There was a need to educate people about using clean water to curtail water-borne ailments, he added.