Supply of untreated dam water raises concerns, small purification plant proposed
According to civic officials, a water purification plant with a capacity of one million litres per day (MLD) is being considered for these areas
With untreated dam water being supplied to areas such as Nanded Gaon, Nandoshi, Kirkatwadi, Sanas Nagar and DSK Vishwa, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) is trying to set up a small water purification plant to address the problem, given the outbreak of Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) in Pune.
According to civic officials, a water purification plant with a capacity of one million litres per day (MLD) is being considered for these areas. “The project can be set up within a month, and an official decision will be taken soon,” said Prithviraj B P, additional municipal commissioner, PMC.
A meeting was held on Wednesday between PMC officials, the National Institute of Virology (NIV), and the state health department. During the discussion, NIV officials confirmed their test findings linking recent (GBS) infections to contaminated water.
Prithviraj said that while GBS cases have been reported before, the sudden rise in cases is being investigated. NIV has recommended collecting larger water samples—two litres instead of 100 millilitres—and storing them for longer durations. It has also advised maintaining a minimum chlorine level of 0.3 parts per million (ppm) in the supplied water although the PMC currently maintains 0.6 to 0.7 ppm. Additionally, stool samples of affected patients should be preserved for further study.
Hospitals urged to cooperate
Some GBS patients are admitted to private hospitals, where NIV teams are collecting samples for analysis. However, NIV has reported a lack of cooperation from certain hospitals. In response, the authorities have directed all private hospitals to fully support NIV in its investigation.