A day after 3 people died and 68 others were hospitalised due to suspected water contamination in Telangana’s Kamareddy district, officials have swung into action and are taking steps to ensure that no one else is affected. Of the 68 people who were admitted to the Banswada Area Hospital, 58 have been treated and discharged while the other 10 have been stabilised and are awaiting discharge orders.
On Wednesday, three people, a 33-year-old woman and two children aged 4 and 7, died after presenting with severe diarrhoea and vomiting. The three were attending a function in Mugdumpur village on Tuesday. Authorities suspect that the water people drank at the event was contaminated, which led to several suffering from vomiting, nausea and diarrhoea.
The deceased have been identified as Gajula Sunita (33) from Bhujarangpet, Koudipally mandal, Dadge Satyanarayana (7), a native of Pitlam mandal’s Annaram village, and Salitadigari Ruchita (4) from Komalancha village in Nizamsagar mandal. Sunita died at the Banswada Area Hospital where she was admitted while Satyanarayana died at the government hospital in Nizamabad and Ruchita succumbed at Niloufer Hospital in Hyderabad.
While officials suspect that the water supply at the event was contaminated, several individuals had also allegedly eaten ice cream supplied by a local vendor that may also have been contaminated. Both these angles are being investigated. District collector N Satyanarayana’s PA told TNM that water samples from 21 different borewells which supply the Mugdumpur region have been sent for testing. He also added that since several of those attending the function were from out of town, the possibility of contaminants present in water or food sources in other villages is also being investigated.
“We have sent samples from the patients who were admitted, the reports of which we will get back within 48 to 72 hours, after which we will get a better understanding of what caused the outbreak,” Dr Chandra Shekhar Reddy, DMHO of Kamareddy district, told TNM. He further added that medical camps are being conducted in Mugdumpur and surrounding areas to ensure that no one else is affected.
“With the help of ASHA workers we are going door to door and examining people. No new cases have been reported,” he said, adding that only 5 children and 5 adults remain hospitalised, and are expected to be discharged soon.
According to the DMHO, one of three reasons most likely resulted in the incident. “Water contamination, some contamination of the ice cream, or the food or water provided at the function is the most likely cause for the outbreak.”