Srinagar, Aug. 31 -- Officials said the foremost priority should be access to safe water. They stressed that only clean water should be used for drinking, cooking, and brushing teeth.

Sealed and packaged bottled water from a reliable source is the safest option, they added.

Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Anantnag, Dr Khalid Parvez said that in the absence of bottled water, residents should boil water for at least 10 minutes before use, and chlorine tablets or household-grade unscented liquid bleach can be used for disinfection by following recommended instructions.

"If water appears muddy or turbid, it should first be filtered through a clean cloth before boiling or treating," he said, adding that to avoid recontamination, safe water shou...