Nullahs — an unhygienic refuge from hot weather

ISLAMABAD: Just roam around the capital city and its outskirts these days and you’ll see lots of people, mostly youths, bathe in streams and nullahs to cool themselves off in the hot and humid weather.

Most of them belong to the poor segments of society. “The weather is so hot that the people on the streets like us have no option but to take a dip in natural bodies of water,” said Jamal Khan, 16, before running off to jump into a stream near the Bari Imam shrine.

The views of Shumail Syed, in his early 30s, were no different.  “In sweltering and humid days, taking a splash in the water is the best relief. And now when power outages are common and the humidity level is high, streams have turned out to be a good option to bathe in for the people outside for one reason or the other,” he said.

However, the doctors consider the bathing in nullahs unhealthy. “Swimming in streams and nullahs lakes, which are not designated bathing waters, carries a risk of getting infections. Taking a dip into such contaminated watercourses does more harm than good. The people doing so complain about skin infections, eye problems and even hepatitis,” senior physician of Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences Dr Waseem Khawaja said.

He said the people should use clean water to drink, wash hands and bathe, stay at shady places, wear loose-fitting and light-coloured clothes, and use clean napkins and handkerchiefs to prevent medical conditions.