Congress MP Selja calls for health camps, scientific water quality assessment and accountability after over 100 residents reportedly fall ill

CHANDIGARH | Pen of Democracy News Desk

Sirsa MP, former Union Minister, Congress General Secretary and Congress Working Committee (CWC) member Kumari Selja has expressed serious concern over reports that more than 100 residents of Desujodha village in Dabwali have been affected by jaundice and liver infections allegedly linked to contaminated drinking water. She said the situation was particularly alarming as a large number of children and young people were reportedly among those affected, with several families having multiple members undergoing treatment in hospitals across Haryana and Punjab.

Selja said villagers had been complaining about contaminated drinking water for nearly two weeks, but the issue was not addressed in time. Allegations have now emerged that sewage water entered the drinking water supply due to negligence during the laying of a new pipeline. She said if these claims are confirmed through investigation, it would amount to a serious administrative failure. She urged the government to immediately deploy specialist medical teams to the village and ensure proper treatment for every affected resident.

She further stated that the incident was not an isolated case, claiming that Sirsa city and several villages in the district have been struggling with poor-quality drinking water for a long time. Referring to complaints of Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) levels reaching nearly 1,900 in some villages, she said prolonged consumption of such water could pose significant health risks. The government, she added, should conduct regular and transparent testing of drinking water samples across the district and make the findings public.

The Congress leader Selja said she had previously raised concerns over contaminated drinking water in Sirsa and adjoining rural areas, but no permanent solution had been implemented. She maintained that improving pipelines, filtration systems, water treatment facilities and regular quality monitoring was essential rather than relying on announcements alone.

Selja also highlighted longstanding concerns over cancer cases in villages located in the Ghaggar belt. She said that if residents in these areas continue to receive unsafe drinking water, the risks of water-borne diseases, including jaundice, liver ailments, gastrointestinal disorders and skin diseases, could increase further. She called for a scientific study to examine both drinking water quality and disease patterns in the region to formulate a long-term strategy.

She urged Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini and the State Health Department to organise immediate health camps in Desujodha, conduct door-to-door health screening, ensure uninterrupted supply of safe drinking water, and order a high-level inquiry into the allegations of sewage contamination. She also demanded that responsibility be fixed if negligence is established, stating that access to safe drinking water is a basic right and cannot be compromised.

POD/DESK