SRINAGAR: In a worrying development, 37 out of 40 water samples collected from springs in Jammu and Kashmir’s Ganderbal district have been found bacteriologically contaminated and unfit for human consumption.
The alarming findings have prompted authorities to issue an advisory, urging residents of Ganderbal and rural Srinagar to avoid using spring water for drinking.
A notice issued by the Executive Engineer of the Jal Shakti (PHE) Department, Rural Water Supply Division, Ganderbal, stated that a large-scale random sampling and testing of various springs was conducted across the district.
"During the testing, it was found that 37 out of 40 samples collected are bacteriologically positive, thus rendering these springs unfit for human consumption," the notice read.
Many people in rural areas of Ganderbal and Srinagar rely on spring water for drinking. Given the contamination, the Executive Engineer has advised the public to use only tap water until further notice.
The advisory further states that if spring water must be used, it should only be consumed after prolonged boiling