RAWALPINDI, July 23: Water available in Murree has been found to be contaminated and as such unfit for human consumption, a report of the tests, conducted by the Public Health Engineering Department (PHED), showed.

Murree, a hilly resort, is frequently visited by tourists from all over the country, particularly the twin cities.

All the eight sources tested for water quality by the PHED were found to be heavily contaminated with microbial content.

The PHED research officer of the regional laboratory had collected these samples from storage water tank Pindi Point, Tiwana House Pindi Point, Dharjawa source Kashmir Point, State Guest House Kashmir Point, Doonga Gali Kashmir Point, Third Tank Kashmir Point, Tanley Tank Kashmir Point and Wood Berry Hotel Mall Road.

The samples tested by the laboratory in Lahore were found to be high on microbe level and very low on chlorine content. The chemical quality of the water was satisfactory.

The PHED laboratory has recommended effective chlorination of the water in view of the monsoon season and heavy tourist rush to avoid outbreak of water-borne diseases.

Almost all major cities in the country have a problem with unsatisfactory water quality but is given very little attention, although contaminated water leads to serious health hazards.

The quality problem ensues mainly from turbidity, high bacterial load, unhygienic water storage, discharge of civic effluents in the water and infiltration of toxic leachates from the agricultural fields.

The visitors at Murree are faced with double dilemma. The bottled water, which could have been a healthy alternative to the contaminated water quality at the hilly resort, is not of the best quality either. As many as 52 per cent of the bottled water has also been found to be unfit for human consumption.