HARIPUR, May 24: Residents of a number of areas in the city are prone to water-borne diseases owing to consumption of contaminated water supplied by the civic authorities. According to a survey, residents of Qateel Shifai, Khoo, Baboo, Dervish and Ramzani Mohallahs, Choki Police, Malikpura, Old Sabzi Mandi, Chohar Road and Kund are receiving contaminated water also containing worms.

“It is hard to take a sip of water supplied to our locality by the Tehsil Municipal Administration (TMA) without boiling or purifying it,” said Riaz Saghar, a poet and educationist. He added that the water had foul smell and blackish colour and was hazardous for health.

This correspondent was shown samples of contaminated and worm-carrying water by the residents corroborating that the water was not fit for human consumption.

This is mainly due to decades-old rusted pipelines that have developed leaks because of which sewage is getting mixed with drinking water. At several places, water pipelines pass through open drains.

“We pay taxes but in return the TMA gives us unhygienic water and poor municipal services,” said Aamir Iftekhar, adding that he was planning to sue the TMA for the supply of what he called poisonous water.

He said that all the residents of the affected areas were not able to afford bottled water.

Due to consumption of contaminated water, diseases like jaundice, gastroenteritis, enteric fever and typhoid were common among the residents, said Dr Mansoor.

A chemical bacteriological examination conducted at the National Institute of Health, Islamabad, has confirmed that the water sample carried organisms found in human and animal waste, and declared the water sample contrary to the PSI standard and unsatisfactory.

Commenting on the situation, Dr Ejaz Masood said that owing to presence of contaminants like the organisms, nitrates and sulphate in the water, water-borne diseases were feared to spread in the area at a fast pace in the days to come.

He advised the people to use boiled water and take preventative measures.

A source at the TMA said that the civic body was going to replace the rusted water pipelines besides laying new sewerage lines in the city from the next fiscal year under the Asian Development Bank-funded National Urban Development Program.

He said that a state of the art solid waste collection and disposal system was also being introduced in the city.