BATTAGRAM: The erstwhile pristine Nendyar River, flowing through the Battagram district headquarters, has lamentably metamorphosed into a repository of garbage and filth. The river’s waters have become contaminated due to the incessant disposal of animal waste, sewage, and detritus from vegetable and fruit shops.

Consequently, the use of this contaminated water has precipitated a deleterious impact on the health and well-being of the local populace. Despite the palpable risks, the residents are compelled to employ this water for their daily needs, including bathing, ablution and other mundane activities.

Furthermore, it has been observed that numerous hotels and eateries situated in the vicinity of the river have been utilising the contaminated water for washing utensils and, in some instances, even for culinary purposes. This egregious practice has been perpetuated despite the ostensibly blatant health risks associated with it.

The local authorities’ inaction in addressing this issue has been perplexing, to say the least. The residents, cognizant of the health hazards posed by the contaminated water, are nevertheless resigned to their fate, feeling powerless to desist from using the river’s water due to the lack of alternative sources.

No check on disposal of animal waste, sewage into water channel, complain residents

Aaqif, a resident of Ajmera village, articulated his concerns to Dawn, stating that the utilisation of contaminated water from the Nendyar River has led to a plethora of diseases, with hepatitis being the most debilitating affliction affecting the populace’s health.

Concurrently, Hashir, a resident of Chapargram village, lamented to Dawn that despite possessing a breathtaking natural source of water that flows perennially, the inhabitants of Battagram have failed to appreciate its significance and instead have been disposing of their waste and garbage into the river. He emphasised the imperative need for locals to exercise prudent stewardship over this natural resource and utilise it judiciously.

Ihsan Khan, a resident of Maidan village, attributed the primary cause of the river’s contamination to the practices of vegetable and fruit traders, who indiscriminately discard their waste, including rotten produce, into the river.

Sajid, another resident of Maidan village, elaborated that the sewerage lines of hotels and other buildings situated in the bazaar converge into the river, thereby contaminating the water and perpetuating the proliferation of filth on the riverbank.

He advocated for government intervention to halt this practice, which would contribute significantly to preserving the river’s water quality.

Sajid further observed that when the glacier melts, pristine water flows from the mountains towards the populous area of Battagram, where, regrettably, residents divert their domestic sewerage lines into the river, initiating the contamination process. Moreover, he noted that the polluted water has a deleterious impact on aquatic life, resulting in a noticeable decline in the river’s fish population.

Naseem Khan, a resident of the Battagram area, lamented that the community’s actions are detrimental to the natural source of water.

He cited the example of butchers, who, after slaughtering animals, bring the inner materials to the river for washing, thereby releasing effluent into the water. Additionally, chicken traders contribute to the pollution by discarding their waste along the riverbank, creating an environment conducive to the proliferation of crows and other birds, whose presence generates a malodorous atmosphere unbearable for passersby.

When contacted, Dr Hayat Sherazi, medical officer at District Headquarters Hospital, Battagram, divulged to Dawn that the utilisation of Nendyar River water predominantly precipitates typhoid and hepatitis-A.

He further said that individuals bathing in the river are afflicted by hepatitis-A, disparate skin infections, aural diseases, diarrhaea and other health-related issues. “People ought to eschew the use of Nendyar River water to mitigate the risk of illness.”

Published in Dawn, January 27th, 2025