Blame game begins after 5 die of diarrhoea in Hyderabad

Five persons have died and more than 100 hospitalised due to outbreak of diarrhoea caused by contaminated drinking water supply in Bholakpur area of Hyderabad.

Five persons have died and more than 100 hospitalised due to outbreak of diarrhoea caused by contaminated drinking water supply in Bholakpur area of Hyderabad,officials said on Tuesday.

Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation Chief Medical Officer Jayram,however,confirmed only three deaths,but said they were examining the other cases as well,even as locals asserted that five people died since last evening due to the dreaded water borne disease.

“The water is being sent for testing at Institute of Preventive Medicine,” he added.

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Residents alleged that contaminated drinking water that ran through Hyderabad Metro Water Board pipeline and this was the cause of the spread of diarrhoea.

Angry locals gheraoed GHMC and water board officials when they reached to take stock of the situation. CPI(M) MP P Madhu blamed the water board for supplying contaminated drinking water,leading to the death.

He demanded that the government pay an ex-gratia of Rs two lakh to the kin of each of the deceased. Water board Executive Director Harshavardhan,however,maintained that there was nothing wrong with the water supplied.

“We test the water quality both at the reservoir inlet as well as outlet everyday. We did not find anything wrong with the water,” the water board official said.

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He,however,said some water taps were damaged and could have caused the contamination.

GHMC special commissioner M T Krishna Babu visited Bholakpur and spoke to the locals to ascertain facts. The diarrhoea victims were undergoing treatment at Gandhi,Fever Hospital and some private clinics in Hyderabad.

The water board authorities stopped water supply through pipelines to Bholakpur locality and instead started supplying water through tankers.

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