A protest was staged in Dera Bugti district’s Pirkoh tehsil on Saturday over a lack of clean drinking water and rise in the number of cholera cases.
According to a health official, cholera cases have reached 2,577. Dera Bugti District Health Officer (DHO) Dr Azam Bugti told a news outlet that 210 new cholera cases were reported Saturday, along with two more deaths, taking the total death toll so far to six, including two children. He said 15 patients were in critical condition.
The first cholera case had emerged on April 17, DHO Bugti had said on Wednesday, at which point the number of infections was 1,500.
Locals protested against the unavailability of potable water and the alleged lack of notice taken of the situation by the chief secretary or other government officials. They demanded that Pirkoh be declared calamity-hit and medicine, food and clean water be provided.
Senator Sarfraz Bugti called on authorities to declare an emergency in Pirkoh, take stock of the situation and lend aid to the afflicted, along with completing water supply schemes.
Balochistan Chief Minister Abdul Quddus Bizenjo recently approved additional funds of Rs300 million for emergency completion of ongoing water supply projects in Dera Bugti district. In a meeting with provincial adviser Nawabzada Ghuram Bugti, he had discussed the solution to the water crisis in different areas of the Dera Bugti district.
