Municipal Corporation says water contamination caused gastroenteritis outbreak, disconnects 7 private connections

Water contamination was the main reason for the outbreak of gastroenteritis at Jawahar camp, confirmed Municipal Corporation (MC) officials today. They were denying this yesterday. However, they have blamed the residents for the same. Superintending Engineer Manjit Singh said, "We have disconnected seven private connections where the residents had taken the pipes to their houses through sewer manholes. There was a leakage in one of these pipes which resulted in the outbreak after mixing in sewer water. The same was shown to SDM Kuljeetpal Singh Mahi as well on his visit to the area."

The department has not imposed any fine on the residents but has, instead, asked them to choose a safe route for getting a private connection now. Meanwhile, District Congress President Pawan Dewan along with other leaders presented a memorandum to Municipal Corporation Commissioner R K Verma and demanded an enquiry into the entire case.

He also demanded punishment for the guilty. However, the MC team has stated that the residents themselves "are the culprits".

Meanwhile, the SDM visited GTBH and Krishna Charitable hospital to ask about the health of the patients. He announced free treatment for the poor patients in these hospitals. The expenses will be paid by the administration. ORS packets were also distributed in the area apart from chlorine tablets while six water tankers have also been provided.

Ambulance service has also been given in case the patients need to be taken to the hospitals. The information from the hospitals revealed that though no fresh admissions were reported but patients kept on pouring into the hospital OPDs even today as well.

While the MC officials have blamed residents for faulty connections, the latter stated that the water and sewer pipes were more than 40 years old and had never been changed.

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