The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) has stopped piping water to the area and is instead supplying water by tanker. AMC staff have dug the ground in some dozen places in the area to try and locate leaking water pipes and sewers that caused the contamination.

Most jaundice cases were reported in labour pockets such as Chhana Seth Ni Chali, Sardar Nagar Ni Chali, Sonaji Ni Chali, and Ranjit Construction Chali. Chhana Seth Ni Chali alone reported 45 cases; in some shanties all family members are ill.

Better-off colonies such as Mukul Park, Khodiyar Nagar, Yadav Nagar, Ekta Apartments, Jai Mangal Park, and the Ganga Maiya and Ami Maiya colonies of the Gujarat Housing Board haven't been spared.

AMC officials blame the jaundice outbreak on people who have illegally tapped water mains to get piped water at their homes. On Wednesday they located and cut such connections in Sardar Nagar Ni Chali and Jai Ambe Nagar. Officials also blame people who have used PVC water pipes, which are prone to crack or break underground, leading to contamination by anything from soil to sewage leaking from drains.

Municipal commissioner B.K. Sinha said, ``We have located some leaking pipes and found some hand pumps and water pipes that were blocked. In most of the houses, residents have used PVC pipes, which is illegal as per AMC norms. Some of the lines have also been disconnected in these areas.''

Residents, however, blame AMC, and also the councillors from the area, for not having got the officials to act earlier. Said Karsanbhai Bhulabhai, a patient, ``Jaundice cases came to light 15 days ago, but the authorities have come here only in the last two days. And we all knew it is a leaking municipal sewer that is causing the problem. But they took so long to start work.''

Councillor Gitaben Joshi , however, said, ``The problem is on for the last six days. I will see the colonies get drinking water regularly.''