STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: With Drugs Control Organisation (DCO) abdicating its bonafide duties towards public health, the people of Jammu are exposed to diseases due to consumption of drinking water being supplied in packed campers by some self-styled agencies.
The menace has taken dangerous proportions in the capital city of Jammu where these packed campers are made available to shopping complexes, business establishments, event management establishments, caterers and even at eatery shops as claimed by an NGO J&K Against Corruption in a press conference on Thursday.
The Drug Controller Office headed by a junior officer of the rank of Assistant Director but officiating as Director has failed to verify whether the water in packed campers is fit for human consumption.
Reportedly, as per sources, no test samples have been taken from the market for testing in laboratories. Same is scenario with other edibles in which synthetic colours are used like Kashmiri Wazwan being prepared and served in various reputed hotels and restaurants.
Reports suggest that prohibited colours are not only being used in Wazwan and other dishes but is being used by confectionary dealers and Ice Cream parlours, etc, which, according to experts, is detrimental to health and the Drug Controller Department itself has circulated an advisory to the concerned perhaps only to fill the stomach of files or to give green signal to inspecting/supervising staff to squeeze money from the concerned on the pretext of using synthetic colours.
Here it is relevant to mention that recently the Drug Controller Department on the instructions of Health Minister conducted verification of milk and Khoya perhaps for the first time ignoring the fact that the department is duty bound to check other edible products like oil, Ghee, etc.
Though the check conducted on milk and khoya could have opened the eyes of department, the criminal silence after the first check proves the fishy affairs in the department known for corruption at the risk of life of common man.
According to the claims made by J&K Against Corruption, drinking water being supplied through daily camper services is ‘unsafe’ and the water having potential of playing with the health of the consumers is being supplied by stakeholders without any fear of facing punishment.
Several suppliers are supplying water campers in market places in old city and in other city centres during the day. They have set up water plants in residential areas and supply the water campers as per demand from various categories of consumers.
In a statement, JKAC spokesman claimed that when they carried out the random checks the TDS level of water was reported to be 350 to 550 where as water supplied by PHE Deptt through pipes had the TDS level of only 110.
JKAC further stated, “this proves that water suppliers who claim to supply filtered water are actually supplying contaminated water to consumers and looting them under the watchful eyes of the entire district administration”. During a press briefing JKAC volunteers also appealed to the State Government agencies to set up enquiry committee to check the quality of water supplied by private water suppliers.
Ice supplied by private Ice factories should also be checked for quality, it added.
It may be mentioned due to consumption of high TDS level of water, people are getting affected by various diseases like jaundice, arthritis, kidney problem, liver problem, etc.
“We appeal to DC Jammu to look into the matter on urgent basis”, the organisation stated. People in general were also requested to go to water testing laboratory of PHE Department to get water checked.
