Contaminated water likely source of infection for cholera outbreak in Bhosari: PCMC

PCMC officials suspect contaminated water as source of cholera infection in Bhosari, urge residents to avoid tap water and use tanker water.

After seven persons were admitted to hospitals after testing positive for cholera infection, Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) officials claim contaminated water is likely to be the source of infection and have asked residents in the area to stop drinking water from the tap.

As per the laboratory reports three samples of stored drinking water by residents in the Wasti were found non-potable. (REPRESENTATIVE PIC)

Residents should boil and use the water provided by the civic body through tankers, said officials.

The Dhawade Wasti in Bhosari is a thickly populated semi-slum area with individual houses. There are a total of 15 lanes in the Wasti and around 15,000 people live in the area.

As per the laboratory reports three samples of stored drinking water by residents in the Wasti were found non-potable.

Shrikant Savane, joint deputy city engineer and head of the water supply department of PCMC, since the first case of reported the water samples are taken for testing. Over 70 per cent of the area is covered and no samples are found contaminated.

“Two to three samples were found non-potable and the water connections of these citizens were unauthorised. We have sent samples for testing to third-party laboratory and state laboratory,” said Savane.

Savane, further, informed, that people here use borewell water and even tap water. But since the cholera case was reported we have asked the citizens to stop drinking tap water and use only the tanker water supplied by PCMC for drinking.

“We are yet to identify the contaminated water source and hopefully it will be identified soon,” he said.

Dr Laxman Gophane, health officer of PCMC, said, there is a source of infection in the area as none of the cholera patients has a history of visiting the Chakan area in which cholera cases were reported a couple of weeks back.

“We have asked the citizens to boil the drinking water provided by PCMC for drinking. For the past four days, we have been providing drinking water through tankers. The source of infection is likely to be contaminated water and providing water through tankers has helped to contain the spread,” he said.