With the deaths in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, from contaminated water spiralling into a major crisis for the state BJP government, the party is taking no chances following a typhoid outbreak in parts of Gandhinagar, linked to leak of drainage water into a drinking water pipeline.
More than 100 cases of suspected typhoid have been detected in the state capital. While around 20 people were discharged after treatment, more than 90 are under treatment at Gandhinagar Civil Hospital as well as health centres; their condition is stable, officials said. Medical Superintendent of Gandhinagar Civil Hospital Mita Parikh said that as the incubation period of typhoid is 10-15 days, they are expecting around 10 fresh cases daily till January 20.
With a number of patients admitted in private hospitals or discharged after OPD treatment, those affected – mostly from Gandhinagar Sectors 24, 26, 28 and Adiwada area of the city – are believed to number more than 100. A senior official of the Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation’s (GMC’s) Health Department, which is coordinating with its engineering branch on the repair of leaks and unclogging of overflowing gutters, said they are treating the situation as “an epidemic”.
The 6-year-old son of Malti Kori, a resident of Adiwada in Gandhinagar, needs IV drip twice a day. He fell ill five-six days ago and has been diagnosed with typhoid. Kori, 32, says her son fell ill soon after they started receiving foul-smelling water. “We got such water continuously for four-five days. We used it only on the first day after which we started buying drinking water. But that one day was enough to make my son ill. He had a fever and stomach ache. After the test showed typhoid, we have been treating him for it,” Kori said, adding that many in their locality have similar symptoms.
“The water seemed like someone had mixed cement powder with it,” said Asha Pandya, a resident of Shrinagar who claims they have been getting such supply since November, forcing them to buy drinking water. Her 14-year-old son was diagnosed with typhoid recently, and has recovered now.
Maniben Parmar from Indira Nagar Chhapra in Gandhinagar’s Sector 24, one of the worst-affected areas, said: “We have been drinking boiling water, and so have escaped. But some of the children in my neighbourhood fell ill.”
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Merusinh Chavda, the vice-president of a Residents’ Welfare Association in Sector 24, said they had brought the issue to the notice of local corporators, but nothing was done.
Municipal Commissioner J N Vaghela said they got the first complaints only on December 29. “The issue has cropped up owing to water contamination, mixing of water (drinking and drainage water). So far, we have repaired 21 leaks… All the patients are stable, nobody is critical. We have also started chlorination tests and the water is potable now,” Vaghela said, admitting that this was not the case earlier.
On complaints of some locals that they were facing the problem for the last 20 days, he said no such complaint had been brought to his notice. “Before December 29 there was no issue.”
Vaghela also said that they had been working on a long-term project to replace the existing pipelines with new ones in areas like Adiwada village.
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Gajendrasinh Vaghela, one of the corporators of the GMC’s Ward 2, under which Adiwada falls, also stressed that nobody approached them with any complaints. “I did not get a single call. I came to know about it (the typhoid cases) through the media,” he claimed.
A top official at Gandhinagar Civil Hospital, where most of the patients are admitted, said they started seeing a surge in complaints like high-grade fever, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting etc on December 29. Most of them were in the age group of 1-16. “Municipal Corporation authorities were informed. Subsequently we sent Rapid Response Teams to these areas,” the official said.
The teams found the presence of suspected water-borne diseases in the water, the official said. “Various samples were taken and they showed faecal contamination.”
A private doctor in one of the affected areas, who did not want to be identified, said she has treated around 25 patients with typhoid since December 20. “Around 25 others showed symptoms.”
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Union minister Shah spoke to Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi, District Collector Mehul Dave and GMC Commissioner on Sunday. Officials said he ordered the immediate repair of leaking pipes to ensure that the outbreak did not spread and inspection of pipelines in the surrounding areas.
Officials have been carrying out awareness campaigns in the affected areas, apart from distributing chlorine tablets and ORS packets.
