BAHAWALPUR, Aug 31: The Institute of Public Health, Lahore, has declared the drinking water of six localities of Bahawalpur unfit for human consumption.

Dawn learnt here on Sunday that the district health officer had sometime back dispatched the samples of drinking water of Officers’ Colony, Satellite Town, Islami Colony, Baggi Khan, Maqbul Colony and B.V Hospital for laboratory tests to Lahore. The institute’s report showed that the under-ground water of these localities was contaminated and, as such, injurious to human health.

It was further learnt that the DO (health) about three months back had reported the matter to district government officials, but they did not take any step to protect the citizens from the contaminated water. At the same time, the hospital’s water collected as sample from its ENT department was also found injurious.

The DO (health) under his letter No: 7672-A-EDO (health) dated May 22, 2003, informed the district nazim that the water of six localities was unfit for drinking purposes. It was also proposed that immediate steps should be taken to provide clean potable water to residents, but no headway was made in this respect.

About a month ago, Dr Syed Waseem Akhtar, MMA’s deputy parliamentary leader in the Punjab assembly, through a motion had pointed out the supply of contaminated water to the allottees of the low-income housing scheme here. At this, Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi had assured him to investigate into the matter. But as of now the government has not taken any step for the provision of clean potable water to residents of the three-marla scheme.

Residents have protested over the apathy of government officials for depriving them of the clean drinking water facility.