TIMERGARA, April 28: Residents of different villages in Adenzai, Talash and Timergara localities of Lower Dir district have complained about the outbreak of waterborne diseases, especially typhoid, during the past 20 days. They alleged that health department was doing nothing to cope with the situation.

Talking to Dawn on Monday they said that children and grown up people had been suffering from high fever with pain due to the said diseases. They said the number of victims was increasing with each passing day.

The ailment was curable and they were treating the patients by their own, they said, adding that health department should look into the matter to find out the root cause of the disease.

Senior medical officer and in charge of THQ Hospital Chakdara Dr Khaista Rahman when contacted, confirmed the outbreak of the diseases. He said that most of the patients in Adenzai and Talash were suffering from typhoid and termed the use of contaminated water and food as the root cause of the disease. “It is a ladder steps form of fever, low in the morning and increases gradually till evening,” the physician remarked.

He said it could lead to diarrhoea in the second week if not treated on time. “The patient feels cold and pain with shivering during the ailment which can cause further complications,” he added.

Residents of the areas have demanded of the government to constitute a special team of experts to work out a proper planning to cope with the problem. “Most of the government water supply schemes with steel pipes have been leaking for a long time.

Rainwater and drains often mix with drinking water and contaminate it,” remarked a social worker Shad Mohammad who works on a safe drinking water project in the Dir Upper.

He said that due to substandard pipes used in water supply schemes water was being contaminated largely causing various water borne ailments.