Leak in water-supply pipeline caused the epidemic, says Health Department, as Water Supply and Sanitation department denies claim

Almost every family in the sleepy hamlet of Majri, near Mohali, has been affected with diarrhoea. At least 403 villagers have complained of pain in the abdomen, vomiting, loose motions and mild fever on Sunday and Monday, said Mohali District Health Officer (DHO) Dr S P Surila.

Around 297 diarrhoea patients were reported on Sunday while 106 cases were detected till Monday evening. While seven of the critical cases were shifted to the PGI and GMSH-16 in Chandigarh, 50 others were admitted at a makeshift health centre set up at the community centre in the village. No casualty has been reported yet.

To tackle the epidemic, two medical specialists, a medical team and an ambulance have been stationed at the village.

“We are providing free treatment and medicines to the patients and spreading health awareness in the village,” said Dr Surila. He added that 10 water samples were collected from different sources on Monday for tests.

Preliminary investigations by the District Health department revealed that a leak in the water supply pipeline to the village had caused the epidemic. The villagers who subsisted on water from handpumps were not affected while those who drank tap water had fallen ill.

Water supply to the village was suspended on Sunday. On Monday, the Water Supply and Sanitation department plugged the leak and restored supply.

Refuting the Health department’s claim, Executive Engineer of the Water Supply and Sanitation department, Partap Singh, said: “We supply water to four villages — Majri, Fatehpur, Sialba and Khera — from the same two tubewells installed at Fatehpur. No where except Majri was this problem reported.”

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