KWSB takes steps to counter Naegleria

Water board to launch awareness camps to educate citizens on dangers of virus

KARACHI: The deadly brain-eating amoeba, naegleria fowleri, resurfaced in the city in April and the authorities are finally waking up to the danger in our midst.

The Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB) claimed that it was taking measures to combat the incurable virus and has appointed a focal person to oversee the naegleria monitoring cell.

Naegleria has already claimed three lives this year. In 2016 the virus claimed two lives in the city.

Leader of the Opposition in the Sindh Assembly Khawaja Izharul Hasan has written a letter to the provincial chief minister, requesting him to take strict measures to curb the spread of the deadly virus. He also brought the efforts of the water board into question and demanded that MPAs be briefed on the steps being taken by the KWSB.

A meeting was held between the senior directors of the KWSB late Friday at the laboratory of the COD filtration plant, where matters related to the naegleria virus were discussed. Deputy Techinical Managing Director Asadullah Khan presided over the meeting, which was also attended by the KWSB Superintendent Engineer Zahid Jameel, Chief Chemist Muhammad Yahya and KWSB’s Focal Person for Naegleria Zafar Mehdi.



Jameel told The Express Tribune that KWSB will make sure that water at the filtration plants and pumping stations is chlorinated, however, they are asking citizens to take precautionary measures before using water. These include boiling the water before drinking it and adding chlorine to water tanks for domestically-used water.

He said naegleria is a life-threatening virus and its bacteria can be found in clean water such as swimming pools, lakes and water tanks. He added that when doctors realised that the virus was spreading, it is already too late, therefore, in this case prevention is better than the cure.

Jameel said that KWSB has decided to launch awareness camps in the city to educate citizens about the naegleria virus and how to protect themselves from it. This will include a briefing on how they can clean their water reservoirs after a passage of time including addition of chlorine.

Jameel said the KWSB laboratory has the facility to test water samples to determine the condition of their water reservoirs. The water board tests samples of water from various parts of the city on a daily basis, he said, adding that they ensure the addition of chlorine in water reservoirs and pumping stations as per the criteria set down by the World Health Organisation.