500 down with gastroenteritis in Ludhiana

LUDHIANA: A severe outbreak of gastroenteritis and diarrhoea in Hargobindpura few months back has left 500 falling sick.
Most affected are the children, considering nearly 200 children have reported sick. The fault surprisingly continues to lie with the Municipal Corporation each time, as people complain about sewerage water getting mixed with the drinking water.
Despite the Commissioner, Municipal Corporation, S K Sharma claims in the past two years about spending lakhs of rupees each year on laying down sewerage pipes and getting the old ones repaired, the sewer has failed the Corporation every few months.
Dr A S Chawla, District Epidemiologist said both on Tuesday and Wednesday over 200 cases had been reported sick, of which two were serious and admitted to the Civil Hospital. He said a team lead by Senior Medical Officer, Sahnewal, Dr S S Dhir, along with three pediatricians and seven paramedical staff was posted in the area since Tuesday night.
Meanwhile, though some Municipal Corporation water tankers are reaching the area, the commissioner himself reached the affected site only on Thursday afternoon, two days after the epidemic first broke out. Minister for Higher Education, Harnam Das Johar visited the area. During his visit he condemned Commissioner’s behaviour, considering he had not visited the site yet. He added that he himself had returned from Pakistan a day before, and yet had rushed to the troubled people, while the concerned officials have been lacking in their duty.
Dr Chawla said all the same, the medical team was trying to make the residents aware of the drinking water facility provided through tankers, and that they should abstain from using the tap water.
Interestingly, while the water used in the colony is completely discoloured, Sharma said the water samples had been tested from three different houses, where family members were affected and was found fit for drinking. He said there had been a complaint for sewerage breaking in the pipe on 7th of February, but it had been immediately taken care of by the MC team. He added that one of the houses also had illegal connection, which had been disconnected by the MC employees. He pointed out that residents of the area largely relied on community hand pumps, simply to avoid not paying water connection and rental bills, which had further aggravated the problem.