anish Garelth is a small village in Hunza valley. There are 180 households. Most of its residents practice agriculture. The channel that is the main drinking water source is getting polluted due to the mushrooming of hotels and restaurants nearby and the direct disposal of sewage and municipal waste in some of the tributary streams, leading to water-borne diseases.

Students at Boys Middle School Ganish Garelth, used to experience similar health-related issues. When Nelofar Shaheen assumed charge a year ago, she was surprised to learn that drinking water was scarce and often unsafe.

According to Shaheen, “The water was highly turbid and contaminated. Children used to drink that water, as it was the only source available to them.”

Shaheen also saw videos circulating on social media regarding a damaged sewer line that was polluting the water channel that supplied water to their school. After that, she tried to avoid drinking water from the school supply.

“It was common for students to have water-borne diseases, such as hepatitis and typhoid. Student attendance was getting affected,” said Shaheen.

Ehsan Ullah, the site in-charge at Hunza office of the World Wide Fund for Nature-Pakistan says that the Ganish Garelth Local Support Organisation contacted the WWF with a request for support.

The WWF-P through its Water Resources Accountability in Pakistan programme conducted a feasibility study. Samples taken from the........

© The News on Sunday