Water-logging poses health risk
Shariq Majeed
Tribune News Service

Poonch, March 23
After the state government held elections for the municipal bodies a few years back, these urban bodies have failed to solve the basic problems of sewerage and drainage. The municipal committee here could not manage the funds to repair the lanes and drains leading to water logging during rainy season.

Health experts fear if the problem of water-logging is not checked it can cause epidemic. They said that diseases like cholera, gastroenteritis, typhoid, dysentry, amoebiosis and hepatitis were common in the water logged conditions, especially during rainy season.

The areas here where the lanes and drains are quite damaged and need immediate repairs include Mohalla Krisenhal, Shanker Nagar, Singh Sabha Mohalla, Mohalla Power House, Allapir Mohalla and Haji Market.

The residents of these areas told The Tribune that the lanes and drains which were damaged in the past two decades had not been repaired till date. After the municipal committee was elected here, we were expecting it will solve the problem of drainage and sewerage in the town. However it has failed to get these lanes and drains repaired and water logging is a huge problem here", complained Anu Sharma, a resident of Mohalla Singh Sabha and a housewife. "During rainy season it's not only the streets where the water logging occurs but some times water enters our homes also,” she added.

However, it is not only the common man who is facing the problem, the business community, especially the shopkeepers, too are suffering due to water logging.

"Since the lanes and drains have not been repaired in our area for the past so many years, water logging is quite common here. Most of the times, especially during monsoon, water enters our shops damaging the shopping articles inside", averred Muhammad Hussain, who runs grocery shop in Haji Market.

Rajinder Singh, chairman, Poonch Municipal Committee, admitted that the lanes and drains were constructed quite a long time back and had never been repaired. "We were awaiting funds for getting the lanes and drains repaired. However, I must tell you that we have received Rs 7 crore for repair”, Chairman, Municipal Committee said.