GBS upends daily life along Pune’s Sinhagad Road
Growing concern has led to a decline in school attendance, as parents grow wary of potential risks, while housing societies in the area have stopped purchasing water from private water tankers due to fear of consuming contaminated water
The rising cases of Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) across areas like Dhayari, Ambegaon, Narhe, and several other parts along Sinhagad Road have triggered widespread panic among residents as three more suspected cases were reported on Thursday, taking the total number of cases to 130. This growing concern has led to a decline in school attendance, as parents grow wary of potential risks, while housing societies in the area have stopped purchasing water from private water tankers due to fear of consuming contaminated water.
In most schools in the area, the water is currently being supplied through tanker after the main source - well - was found with contaminated water during the test. “We have now asked students to bring boiled water from home,” said Abhijit Deshpande, a primary school teacher who admitted that the attendance has taken a hit.
“We had a case of GBS last week in our building. So, I decided not to send my two children to school for the last four days. They will now resume school from Friday,” said Asmita Bhande, a resident of Kirkatwadi.
Poor water supply
Hundreds of private water tankers supply water daily to newly developed residential societies in these areas, where municipal water supply remains inadequate. Many societies rely on tanker water throughout the year, but the fear of GBS infection has prompted several of them to discontinue the service.
“We used to buy tanker water every alternate day due to the ongoing shortage of municipal supply. But for the past four days, we have completely stopped purchasing tanker water, as it is sourced from a private well in Narhe,” said Santosh Mhatale, a resident of Swasti Enclaves in Narhe.
Mandar Bhalerao, a resident of Ambegaon Budruk, shared a similar concern, “Our society has over 72 flats, and we are fully dependent on tanker water, but given the fear surrounding GBS, we have unanimously decided to stop using water from these tankers. For now, we are sourcing water from a neighbouring society that has a borewell, and we purify it using our society’s water filtration system.”
The sudden drop in demand has also led to a sharp decline in water tanker prices. Until last week, a 1,000-liter tanker cost between ₹2,000 and ₹2,500. Now, prices have fallen to around ₹1,500.
“We used to send 70 to 80 tanker trips daily to societies in Narhe, Dhayari, and nearby areas. But in the last few days, many of our regular customers have stopped ordering, citing concerns about GBS. As a result, even the tanker rates have dropped,” said a water tanker supplier requesting anonymity.
The ongoing health scare has added to the challenges faced by residents and tanker suppliers, highlighting the growing public anxiety over water safety in the city’s rapidly developing suburbs.
Risks of untreated water
For many in these villages, untreated water has long been a concern. The affected areas rely on water from the Khadakwasla Dam, which they lift directly from the dam without being treated. Sunita Jadhav, a homemaker from Kirkitwadi, said her family has switched to boiling water. “Every day, we hear of another person falling sick. My neighbour was fine last week, and now he is in the ICU. We don’t trust the water anymore.”
Sandeep Nanawre, who runs a grocery store in the area, said sales of packaged water have doubled. “People are buying packaged water in bulk. No one wants to take chances,” he said
Preliminary tests by the National Institute of Virology (NIV) and private labs have detected Campylobacter jejuni, a bacteria commonly linked to GBS, in stool samples of multiple patients.
“Campylobacter jejuni infections are often foodborne, but in this case, contamination in water sources cannot be ruled out. We are conducting extensive surveillance and water testing to identify the source,” said Dr Nina Borade, PMC’s health chief.
Cracks in public infrastructure
Experts say the outbreak has laid bare long-standing infrastructural failures. Sinhagad Road’s newly merged villages, with a population of over two lakh, still lack a proper water treatment plant. A proposal for a filtration facility has been pending for over a year, awaiting central government approval.
For residents like Pankaj Thomare, the lack of action is frustrating. His housing society on Nandoshi Road depends on private tankers, which charge anywhere from ₹700 to ₹2,000 per load. “We can’t afford bottled water every day. The government must intervene and provide safe drinking water immediately,” he said.
Government response and medical challenges
Initially dismissed as isolated cases, the first cluster of patients began appearing in the third week of January. By January 21, Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) reported 22 cases, most from Sinhagad Road and surrounding villages—Nanded, Kirkatwadi, Dhayari, and DSK Vishwa. As cases climbed, health authorities scrambled to respond, forming a Rapid Response Team to investigate the cause of the outbreak.
Amid mounting pressure, authorities have taken emergency measures. PMC has established a 45-bed dedicated ward for GBS patients at Kamala Nehru Hospital, offering free treatment under the Mahatma Jyotirao Phule Jan Arogya Yojana. The state government has also doubled insurance coverage for GBS treatment to ₹1.6 lakh per patient.
Yet, medical professionals warn that treating GBS is costly and complex. Many patients require prolonged hospitalisation, some needing ventilator support. “The expenses can run up to ₹8 lakh per patient, making it inaccessible for many,” said Dr Milind Bapat, a neurologist at a private hospital in Pune.
The central health ministry has now deployed a team of experts to Pune, and the Prime Minister’s Office has directed the divisional commissioner to monitor the situation closely. Meanwhile, door-to-door health surveys are underway, and additional water testing is being conducted.
