Contaminated Water Making Life Difficult for People of PoKMuzaffarabad, PoK, December 02, 2014: Despite being endowed with abundant water resources, PoK is plagued by an acute contamination of its water bodies leading to water shortages and other health issues. With natural sources drying up or being declared unfit for human use, many in capital Muzaffarabad have had to negotiate treacherous terrain to fetch water from far off areas. Many depend on the local administration for drinking water. But residents allege that in the light of no response from government the problem manifests, year after year. With 86 percent of water being declared unfit for consumption, the problem is becoming grave by the day. Water borne diseases like dysentery, cholera and typhoid are common complaints among the local population. The Neelum Valley Project was intended to solve the problem of water scarcity in the Himalayan region, but much of the water harnessed here, has been diverted to the big cities of Pakistan. The erratic monsoons have led to a dip in the water table. The drainage from surrounding areas has polluted several lakes too. Locals say the water supply is infected by the sewer water.
