Bivek Mathur
JAMMU, July 28: No institution in Jammu and Kashmir has the capability to detect the viral infections in drinking water, according to a recent report submitted by the Jammu and Kashmir Pollution Control Committee (JKPCC) to the National Green Tribunal (NGT).
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The information came to light after the NGT requested the JKPCC to conduct viral detection tests on water samples from Pahnoo Village in Shopian District, where jaundice outbreak was reported in the month of January.
Accordingly, the JKPCC requested several institutions in Kashmir to perform the tests but surprisingly all the institutions approached claimed they lack the facility to conduct the viral tests on the water samples.
As per the details available with the Excelsior, in January this year, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) took the cognisance of a news report that highlighted the jaundice outbreak in Pahnoo Village of Shopian District.
Thereafter, the Tribunal asked the Jammu and Kashmir Pollution Control Committee (JKPCC) to find out the causative agent for the outbreak.
Accordingly, on May 14, 2024, the Member Secretary, JKPCC filed a “very casual and cryptic” report, disclosing therein that the water quality analysis at Pahnoo, Shopian was conducted in respect of Faecal Coliform and the report revealed high count of Faecal Coliform.
Since jaundice is caused by the virus and not the bacteria, the Member Secretary was on May 16, 2024 yet again directed by the Green Tribunal to get another test conducted to find out the presence of particular virus that causes the infection.
Complying with the directions of the Tribunal, the JKPCC approached the Director Health Services Kashmir (DHSK) to get the water quality test with correct parameters conducted at Village Pahnoo, District Shopian, through the concerned medical institute/laboratory under his jurisdiction equipped with facility to conduct test for the presence of virus in potable water supply.
On June 12, 2024, the Director Health Services Kashmir reported that the main objective of the District Public Health Labs (DPHLs) under his jurisdiction was to conduct the water analysis by MPN method only for Fecal presence. He also claimed that they don’t have such facilities at all DPHLs to conduct any test parameter for viral detection.
Similarly, the Medical Superintendent of the SKIMS Soura approached later reported to JKPCC on June 24, 2024 that the issue of testing of carrying analysis of water for presence of virus was taken up with HoD who further claimed that the Department of Microbiology does not carry out any analysis which detects presence of virus in water sample.
Thereafter, the JKPCC approached Chief Engineer, Jal Shakti Kashmir to get the test conducted. On June 25, 2024, the Chief Engineer, Jal Shakti Kashmir reported that no water testing laboratory of PHE Kashmir Department (District or State level) has the facility for conducting the virological test of drinking water.
The Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Shopian also cited similar reasons in his report, claiming he conducted the MPN (Most Probable Number) test after the jaundice outbreak and found five of the water samples collected satisfactory with reports of the four samples collected in the month of June awaited. MPN analysis, or the Most Probable Number technique, is a simple and cost-effective statistical method for estimating the number of bacteria in a water sample.
Accordingly, the JKPCC asked the CMO Shopian to provide other information related to the outbreak besides taking corrective measures to ensure the prevention of the disease and told the Green Tribunal, “After taking up with Director, Health Services Kashmir, Chief Medical Officer, Shopian, Medical Superintendent, SKIMS Soura, Srinagar and Chief Engineer, Jal Shakti, Kashmir, it was reported that the facility for conduct of viral detection or virological test is not available with any institution in the UT of Jammu and Kashmir.”
With no option to conduct the test within the UT, the JKPCC has finally requested the Director Health Services Kashmir to get the virological test of the drinking water at Pahnoo conducted to ascertain the causative agent for the jaundice outbreak from any accredited laboratory from outside the UT of Jammu and Kashmir, if the same facility is not available in the UT and share test reports accordingly.
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