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Zirakpur: Diarrhoea outbreak claims two lives, 170 infected
Three patients are critical as cases reported from three localities in Zirakpur’s Baltana area: Ekta Vihar, Ravindra Enclave and Harmilap Nagar
A day after a three-year-old girl died due to diarrhoea in Zirakpur’s Baltana area, a 30-year-old man also succumbed to the infection on Monday while the condition of three other residents is stated to be serious.
Meanwhile, 170 more cases were reported from three localities in Baltana: Ekta Vihar, Ravindra Enclave and Harmilap Nagar.
The teams of the health department held a medical camp in the area and door-to-door survey to examine the patients. Around 60 have been admitted to the civil hospital in Panchkula.
The water supply from tubewells was stopped on Monday and water tankers were deployed for the residents. However, the civic body has failed to find the source of water contamination that has led to the outbreak.
The man who died on Monday has been identified as Ravinder Kumar of Ekta Vihar, who worked as a labourer. Confirming his death, Mohali civil surgeon Dr Adarshpal Kaur said: “He had complained of vomiting and loose motions.”
Mohali deputy commissioner Girish Dayalan has sought a report from the subdivisional magistrate. “A medical team and ambulance have been permanently stationed in the area,” he said, adding that water samples have been collected from the tubewell for testing.
Girish Verma, executive officer, Zirakpur municipal council, who was at the spot, said a team is checking the source of contamination as is it suspected that sewage and stormwater is mixing with the drinking water.
Akali Dal MLA NK Sharma, who visited the area, said: “It is unfortunate that the Congress government has completely failed to do its job. We demand a murder case should be registered against the officials responsible for the contamination besides ₹25 lakh each for the families of the victim.”
Last month, a nine-year-old boy had died and around 400 people got infected due to cholera outbreak in Abheypur and Budhanpur villages in the neighbouring Panchkula district.
