It seems the Mohali District Administration has not learnt any lessons from the epidemic in Mohali village that saw over 600 (official figure) cases of cholera, diarrhoea and gastroenteritis be reported at various hospitals. Madanpur village in Phase II, another slum area in Mohali, looks likely to hand out an open invitation to disease with the prevailing insanitary conditions, overflowing drains and no supply of drinking water.

Not surprisingly, this hamlet that houses over 5,000 families falls prey to various waterborne and viral diseases every year.

Over the last two years, four children have died here and several others hospitalised, because of suspected diarrhoea.

After the recent epidemic, Deputy Commissioner P S Mand had directed the civic body officials and the Health, Water Supply and Sanitation departments to take necessary measures in all the slums across the district to avoid any epidemic.

All the tall claims, however, seem limited to paper as a visit to Madanpur on Friday only revealed heaps of garbage and choked sewers.

Up in arms against the Municipal Council and the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority, the slum dwellers today resorted to demonstration. Coming to their rescue, MC senior vice-president Harman Preet Singh Prince met the Deputy Commissioner, GMADA Chief Administrator and Civil Surgeon to take stock of the situation.

“If the civic body president Rajinder Singh Rana is unable to take care of his own ward, under which Madanpura falls, he has no moral right to continue on his post,” said Prince, while urging the state Government to immediately dismiss Rana.

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