The district administration has declared Bharuch city and its surrounding areas hit by water-borne diseases with at least five cases of gastroenteritis and one cholera case being detected on Saturday evening. According to Prakash Parikh,the municipal commissioner of Bharuch city,65 people have fallen ill and are undergoing tests for cholera and other water-borne diseases. The first cases were reported from Ekta Nagar Society located in the heart of the city. We organised a camp where a 70-year-old person was detected with cholera. Later,five confirmed cases of gastroenteritis were reported from the same locality, said Parikh. Those who have fallen ill have complained of dehydration,diarrhoea and high fever. Meanwhile,the civic body,on Saturday,disposed locally-made ice-cream worth Rs 1 lakh following the outbreak. We are not taking any chances as these are water-borne diseases, said Parikh. Bharuch District Collector Aarti Kanwar said the city and the surrounding villages have been declared hit although only one case of cholera and five cases of gastroenteritis have been recorded in the area. There are very high chances that it might affect other areas of the city too. The municipality has taken measures. Villages have already been alerted, she said.
