HYDERABAD, June 6: The dean, faculty of community medicines and public health, Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences, Prof Rafiq Ahmad Soomro, has advised people to use chlorine powder or tablets for killing contaminants in water.

Speaking at a one-day seminar on "Water-borne Diseases: Prevention and Cure", organized by the EDO, health, in collaboration with Unicef at a hotel here on Sunday, he said that 3mg of chlorine was enough for four-litre boiled water, which was to be used after 30 minutes.

Mr Soomro also demonstrated how to treat water at homes. He said that people could prepare solution of bleach in a bottle for daily uses, adding that even sunlight which had ultra violet rays killed bacteria but then people would have to keep pitchers covered with black cloth for seven hours.

LUMHS vice-chancellor Prof Jan Mohammad Memon said that saline water should be drained out in places other than the Manchar Lake. Holding the secretary for irrigation responsible for the water crisis, District Nazim Dr Rafiquzzaman regretted that no action had been taken against him.

DCO Mohammad Hussain Syed, who is holding the additional charge of Hyderabad Development Authority director general, spoke of financial problems Wasa was facing. He said that recovery of Wasa was poor while salaries of staff alone amounted to Rs9 million.

He maintained that water supply and sewerage lines were rustic due to which fresh and filthy water got mixed. He said that more ponds were needed for storage of water as existing reservoirs of Wasa had gathered eight feet silt. Dr Bikha Ram, urged people to boil water to more than 63 degrees Centigrade.