ANANTNAG: The Department of Public Health Engineering (PHE) Wednesday warned people of Hapatdod area of Gadool and adjoing villages in south of Kashmir, against consumption of water coming from a mountain which locals believe possess miraculous properties.
Therere high levels of arsenic and other harmful chemicals present in the water, a PHE official who wished not to be named, said.
Theres nothing holy about the water rather its consumption is highly dangerous as arsenic has carcinogenic properties.
The water which locals call Aab-e-Shifa comes from a nearby mountain and flows into a basin surrounded by big rocks. Once the locals spread the word around that the water has curing properties, people from adjoining areas began to throng the area to take the water.
Villagers have secured the area by erecting a barbed wire fence around the basin and allow the water to rush through a pipe. Hundreds of people are seen visiting the area on daily basis with bottles, cans and buckets in their hands, sometimes lining up in a queue to take water from it.
My wife was suffering from some kidney problem and I took her to many doctors but her condition didnt improve, Gulzar Ahmad, a local, told the Kashmir Observer. She feels a lot better from the day she started taking the holy water.
Village head, Abdul Rasheed Baig, while speaking to Kashmir Observer said the water indeed had curing properties and villagers from far-flung areas come here to collect the holy water. Some religious people, too, believed the consumption of holy water banished ailments which were incurable by traditional methods.
A physician serving in sub-district hospital when contacted said. Theres no doubt the consumption of water is hazardous and should immediately be stopped.
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