Don8217;t panic, be careful 8211; MCD

The Communist Party of India Marxist, meanwhile, has condemned the Delhi Health Minister8217;s 8220;callous attitude8221; for reportedly saying that all was well on the health front, after the reported deaths of 12 children in an Alaknanda camp.

A CPM delegation which scouted around in the area found residents did not possess the most basic of civic amenities. Garbage had not been collected, public latrines had not been cleaned and there was a strong possibility that sewage water had contaminated the drinking water supply, the party charged in a statement.

Delhi Health Minister A.K. Walia, however, has blamed the MCD for aggravating the problem by delaying desilting of drains and cleaning of sewers. Dr Walia said yesterday that health officers were being sent out to those places, where they had received reports of people suffering from cholera and other water-borne diseases.