Diarrhoea outbreak in Vizianagaram అంట

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Diarrhoea outbreak in A.P.’s Vizianagaram: Residents fearful after seven deaths, 140 hospitalisations

Many residents have left the village and gone elsewhere, as fears about water contamination persist

 Garbage being cleared in Gurla in of Andhra Pradesh’s Vizianagaram district, where over 140 persons were hospitalised due to diarrhoea outbreak. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement 

Over 25,000 people living in Gurla and surrounding villages of Vizianagaram district are still under the grip of fear in spite of a series of measures undertaken by the State government and the district administration to control the outbreak of diarrhoea which hospitalised nearly 140 persons in the last three days.

The death of seven persons in the last few days caused panic among the villagers who are worried about their safety due to the contamination of water.

The district administration has claimed that a few people died of reasons other than diarrhoea, but a majority of the people in Gurla have left their homes to stay with relatives in Garividi, Cheepurupalli, Nellimarla, Vizianagaram and other places in spite of the improvement in sanitation in the mandal headquarters and nearby areas.

Vizianagaram Collector B.R. Ambedkar and other officials tried to instill confidence among the people with the supply of purified water through tankers and cans.

Vizianagaram district rural water supply department’s Uma Shankar told The Hindu that the water samples of the filtration center located near SSR Peta in Gurla mandal were sent to a laboratory for analyis. “The filtration center, which draws water from Champavati River caters to the water needs of nearly 26 habitations. We will take necessary steps as soon as reports come from the laboratory,” Mr. Uma Shankar said.

According to him, the water samples of 11 private borewells have also also been sent to the laboratory. It was initially confirmed that water was contaminated in five borewells. However, local residents say they have been using water from these borewells for many years and this usage could not be the reason for the spread of diarrhoea.

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Steps under way to check further spread of diarrhoea at Gurla in Andhra Pradesh’s Vizianagaram district, says Minister Srinivas

About 140 persons hospitalised; dumping of garbage in Champavati river said to be one of the main reasons for contamination of groundwater and water supplied through pipelines, he says; not all four deaths reported are due to diarrhoea, say officials

Minister for MSME K. Srinivas interacting with a patient, at Gurla in Vizianagaram district on Thursday.

Minister for MSME and NRI Affairs K. Srinivas on October 17 (Thursday) said that normalcy would soon be restored at Gurla in Vizianagaram district as all departments concerned were taking steps to prevent further spread of diarrhoea.

About 140 persons were hospitalised following the outbreak of diarrhoea in the village, located 20 km from Vizianagaram. Of them, 22 patients were admitted in Gosha hospital and 18 in Government General Hospital in Vizianagaram, and seven in Cheepurupalli Government Hospital. Three persons, whose condition was critical, were admitted in King George Hospital (KGH) in Visakhapatnam.

“The remaining patients will continue to receive best treatment at the special medical camp being organised in the government school at Gurla,” Mr. Srinivas said.

Along with district Collector B.R. Ambedkar, the Minister visited the special medical camp and enquired about the condition of the patients.

Addressing the media later, Mr. Srinivas said water from different sources, including borewells and pipelines, was collected for testing, and lab reports were expected soon.

Dumping of garbage in the nearby Champavati river was said to be one of the main reasons for contamination of groundwater and water supplied through pipelines, he said. The Minister directed the Panchayat Raj Department to submit a report on sanitation and steps to be taken for stopping the dumping of garbage into the river.

District Medical and Health Officer S. Bhaskara Rao, District Panchayat Officer Venkateswara Rao, Rural Water Supply Superintending Engineer B. Umashankar and other senior officials were camping in the village to oversee upkeep of sanitation, provision of health services and supply of safe drinking water.

Meanwhile, A.P. ST Commission chairperson D.V.G. Sankara Rao, a doctor by profession, interacted with the patients and enquired about the reasons for the outbreak of the disease.

“People should have access to safe drinking water. The reasons for water contamination need to be looked into since such incidents have never been reported in the district earlier,” he said.

Meanwhile, the district administration said that all the four deaths reported at Gurla were not related to outbreak of diarrhoea.

The officials claimed that an elderly woman, Bodasingi Ramulamma, died of age-related problems.

However, the opposition parties alleged that the officials were trying to hide facts.

The Left parties and the Aam Aadmi Party asked the government to announce ex gratia to the next of kin of the deceased.