People in Junga area are troubled by muddy drinking water

Residents of several panchayats in Junga tehsil are currently forced to drink muddy drinking water. Despite the continued complaints to the Jal Shakti Department, the problem remains unresolved, causing widespread anger. Regarding this serious issue, Assistant Commissioner Revenue and Tehsildar Junga, Kartikeya Sharma, has written a letter to the SDM (Rural), Shimla, informing him of the situation.
Kartikeya Sharma also directed the Water Power Department to immediately inspect drinking water sources and filtration plants and ensure clean and safe drinking water is available to the public. He said that complaints of muddy water are being received continuously from various panchayats, which need to be taken seriously.
In his letter, he noted that modern filtration plants have been installed in many cities, including Shimla, to purify dirty water. Similar arrangements should be made for drinking water schemes in rural areas, so that people can have access to clean drinking water during the rainy season.
The Tehsildar informed the SDM that cases of stomach pain, vomiting, and diarrhea are increasing due to the consumption of muddy water. Many such patients are reaching the Civil Hospital Junga for treatment. Medical Officer Dr. Manoj Verma also confirmed the increasing cases of diarrhea and stomach-related illnesses.
Madan Mohan Thakur, former head of Bhadech Panchayat, said that people in his Panchayat also receive muddy water during the rainy season. He said that officials of the Jal Shakti Department argue that due to a shortage of staff in the department, proper maintenance of water sources and schemes is not possible. He said that approximately 15 Jal Shakti Department employees are working in Piran Panchayat of Junga Tehsil. He suggested that the department should rationalize the staff and ensure deployment of staff in various Panchayats as needed, so that drinking water schemes can be operated effectively.
Meanwhile, Vinod Sharma, Executive Engineer of the Jal Shakti Mandal, Kasumpti, stated that instructions have been issued to the Assistant Engineer, Jal Shakti Sub-Division, Koti. If the water from any project is found to be unsafe for human consumption, the pumping should be stopped immediately and necessary steps should be taken on a priority basis for repair and improvement of the project.