Govt orders 15-day campaign to prevent spread of water-borne diseases post floods

Posted by admin_kas on 2025-09-04 09:49:56 |

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Muhammad Adnan

Srinagar, Sept 03:  Jammu and Kashmir government Wednesday ordered launch of 15-day campaign to prevent the possibility of spread of water borne diseases due to possible contamination of drinking water after floods.

The order in this regard has been issued by the Secretary General Administration Department (GAD) Piyush Singla.

"It is hereby ordered that a sustained and organized campaign for taking preventive measures, against water borne diseases including intensive water quality testing and generating awareness about the need to consume safe potable water shall be carried out across the J&K UT for a period of 15 days from September 4, 2025," the order reads.

The government has also listed detailed SOPs to run the 15-day campaign.

As per the order, the concerned Deputy Commissioners have been designated as the Nodal Officers for coordinating, monitoring and implementing the campaign at district level.

As per the order, the District Development Commissioner who is also the Chairman of District Jal Jeevan Mission has been entrusted to kick start meeting at District level and mobilizing different departments at district level.

The DCs, as per the order, will coordinate and monitor the campaign at district level.

The Jal Shakti Department has been tasked to ensure water Quality Testing through laboratories with active involvement of field level workers and make announcements through mobile vans about the measures and precautions to be taken during floods for safe consumption and storage of drinking water.

As per the SOPs, the Health and Medical Education (H&ME) department has been tasked to share the alerts of water borne  disease with Jal Shakti Department for proper investigation and taking necessary corrective measures.

"The department will also generate awareness and promote community participation for safe water consumption and preventive health care," the GAD order reads.

The Rural Development Department (RDD) has been asked to conduct special sanitation drives in villages especially at traditional water sources, water  supply  assets, and sources of schemes.

"The department will educate people about common wash practices and importance of maintaining proper sanitation and hygiene," it reads.

The School and Higher Education Departments have been asked to hold demonstrations of water quality testing, through laboratory staff, in colleges and schools and educate students about common WASH practices and importance of maintaining proper sanitation and hygiene.

"Special sanitation drives must be carried in Colleges and Schools," it reads.

The Social Welfare Department has been assigned the role of conducting water quality tests in nearby laboratories and promoting common WASH practices besides holding special sanitation drives in Anganwadi centres.

The field staff in collaborations with ASHA workers have been asked to make inhabitants of affected areas aware about the disruptions caused to water supply schemes and suggest alternate sources of potable drinking water.

"Chlorine tablets shall be provided and people shall be made aware of other methods of water purification. Intensive water testing  should be  carried out by Sub Divisional and District laboratories," it reads.

The GAD order reads that intensive water testing shall be carried out  in the affected areas from where the inhabitants are acquiring drinking water, with a minimum frequency of every three days till the  regular supplies are restored.

"Testing of water samples of restored water supply schemes shall be carried out before and after the filtration process and also at household level to ensure safety of drinking water," the order reads.

The government has ordered that these water testing reports shall be displayed at prominent places in the affected areas to boost public confidence.

”At least three to four sample villages or areas in such high risk contamination zones shall be collected and tested as per protocol in vogue," the GAD order reads.

It reads that the water samples shall be taken and tested at both  inlet (before treatment) and at outlet (after treatment).

"A summary shall be prepared for comparing the pre-treatment and  post-treatment test results for better visualization and quality monitoring," the order reads.