Jammu, June 7 -- The recent health scare in Bagla Kotli village of Rajouri district, where 35 villagers took ill within just four days, is yet another grim reminder of the fragile and neglected state of rural healthcare infrastructure in Jammu and Kashmir. The reported symptoms-vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal cramps, dizziness, and signs of acute dehydration-are indicative of a classic waterborne outbreak, most likely triggered by the consumption of contaminated water. Though the official confirmation is still pending, preliminary investigations have compelled the health authorities to seal three traditional water sources (bawalis) and issue an immediate ban on their usage.
This unfortunate incident is not an aberration. Barely five months a...