Deputy Commissioner Kishtwar Pankaj Kumar Sharma launches campaign for prevention of water-borne diseases, intensification of water quality testing

KISHTWAR: In pursuance to the directions of the Government of Jammu and Kashmir UT, Deputy Commissioner Kishtwar Pankaj Kumar Sharma today chaired a meeting to review and implement the campaign for the prevention of water-borne diseases and intensification of water quality testing in flood and landslide affected areas across the district. The stakeholder departments were asked to start the campaign aligning with the guidelines issued by the General Administration Department.

The campaign will run for 15 days, starting from September 4, 2025 across the district. The DC instructed the Executive Engineer Jal Shakti to chalk out a calendar for conducting intensive water quality testing in flood- and landslide-affected areas, in collaboration with field-level workers. These testing will be done at the 3 laboratories functioning in three Subdivisions of Chatroo, Paddar and Dachan, besides the NABL accredited laboratory at the district level.

The testing will be conducted with a special focus on the recently flood-affected zones, including Chisoti, Margi, Mughal Maidan and landslide-affected areas. The public awareness campaign will be conducted through announcements and mobile vans, along with preparing audio jingles and messages for circulation among other departments.

The Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Kishtwar was directed to alert people about water-borne diseases, issue timely health advisories, promote preventive healthcare and generate awareness about the importance of safe water consumption. The Programme Officer ICDS and the Rural Development Department were instructed to organize special sanitation drives in villages, Anganwadi Centres and at traditional water sources, particularly in flood-affected areas.

The PO ICDS was further directed to ensure that Anganwadi Workers conduct water sampling, promote hand-washing practices in flood- and landslide-affected areas and sensitize the public about WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) practices, along with conducting sanitation drives in Anganwadi Centres. The School Education Department was asked to conduct demonstrations of water quality testing and sensitize students about WASH practices.

Awareness measures will be amplified through print, electronic, and social media, as well as through jingles and audio/video messages on FM radio and TV channels. The campaign will particularly focus on flood-affected, landslide-affected, inundated and rehabilitation zones, with regular monitoring at the district level to ensure effective implementation. PO ICDS Kishtwar Rishi Kumar Sharma, CPO Kishtwar Akhil Thakur, DSWO Kishtwar Zubair Ahmed, CMO Kishtwar Dr. Rajinder Kumar, CEO Kishtwar Sanjay Dogra, ExEn Jal Shakti Kishtwar Sanjeev Kumar Gupta besides other Senior Officers were present during the meeting.