Contaminated water: Three die, over 10 fall ill at Amritsar village in a week

Villagers accuse water supply department and those involved in laying of gas pipeline in the area for contamination of drinking water

AMRITSAR: Three persons, including two girls have died while over 10 others were taken ill after drinking contaminated water in the last one week in Fatehgarh Shukarchak village falling under the Verka block of Amritsar.

Three persons, including two girls have died while over 10 others were taken ill after drinking contaminated water in the last one week in Fatehgarh Shukarchak village falling under the Verka block of Amritsar.

The inhabitants of the village have alleged lackadaisical approach from the water supply department and those involved in laying of gas pipes in the area as a reason behind the contamination of drinking water.

“Since July 27, nearly half the population of our village have fallen ill after drinking the contaminated water. Five members of our family are still under treatment. My granddaughter was severely ill and now that she has survived after being critical, we feel it is her rebirth,” said the village’s former sarpanch Karnail Singh.

He said, “Two girls of our village and one Jagir Singh have died in the past one week after drinking the water supplied from the water tank of the water supply department. All those who have died or fallen ill had complained of vomiting and diarrhoea. Yesterday, a team of health department visited our village and asked the people not to drink the tank water.”

Singh said the villagers suspect that the water was contaminated due to the “digging of trenches for laying gas pipes,” “Some people are also alleging that the water was contaminated after the mixing of high quality of water purification content into the water tank,” he added.

Amritsar civil surgeon Dr Charanjit Singh said the health authorities conducted a survey after receiving complaints of contaminated water in the village. “Most of the samples of the drinking water taken by our team in the village have failed the purity test. We had organised a medical camp, besides initiating a water chlorination drive. At present, the situation is normal and nobody is admitted in any hospital. We had reports that only two people died in the village,” he said. He further said that the water may have been contaminated due to the leakage of water supply pipes.