Water is the most significant natural resource for all living beings on the planet. The quality of water is considered the main factor linked to the status of health and disease in living organisms, including humans. The present study aims to assess the quality of water in the upper Jhelum basin of the Kashmir Himalayas. A multi-stage sampling technique has been used. To achieve the measured values for quality assessment, a total of 60 water samples were collected from various drinking water sources. The data was analyzed using suitable statistical techniques and relevant methods of water quality assessment. The results were compared with standard norms of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). The inferences revealed that most of the sampling sites had either excellent or good water quality, except for the sites encoded as RWS1, RWS4, RWS5, RWS6, RWS13 and RWS14, which depicted poor water quality. The findings revealed that water quality fluctuations are caused by anthropogenic activities such as domestic waste, agriculture and horticulture, as well as natural processes such as weathering and erosion. In general, the inferential statistics revealed that water quality varies from excellent to moderately polluted. Thus, proper purification and timely monitoring of water bodies must be ensured. The purpose of the study is to suggest remedial measures to ease the deterioration and related repercussions in the future.

Low Back Pain (LBP) is considered one of the most frequently reported causes of visits to healthcare establishments. In India, the prevalence of LBP is alarming with approximately 60% of people suffering from LBP. It has been observed that most people have experienced back discomfort at least once in their lives. Globally, LBP features amongst work-related disorders as a frequently prevailing issue in occupational settings. In the Indian scenario, the prevalence of LBP is generally found to be gender-specific. Females are reported to suffer more from LBP than males in the same working environment. Recent research suggests that school teachers exhibit a higher prevalence of LBP issues. Therefore, the present study focuses on enquiring about the occurrence of LBP and understanding the associated risk factors among female teachers. Simple random sampling is used to identify schools in 5 urban units of the Srinagar district. Binary logistic regression is employed to identify the risk factors, both at the workplace and at home. Married females (58.33 %) complained of LBP more than unmarried ones. At the workplace, prolonged standing (40%) was the most common self-reported risk factor for LBP. In general, prolonged standing, teaching hours, and mental health were found to be the three statistically significant risk factors contributing to LBP at the workplace. Amongst all the activities at home, domestic chores carried out by females (married and unmarried both) were the highest self-reported risk factor (78%), married women at 82.14% and unmarried women at 75.9%. The same was found statistically significant along with the additional factor being professional work done at home. The study establishes the need for a comprehensive strategy and preventive interventions in lowering the prevalence of LBP disability, especially among teachers, given the immense role they play in shaping our society.