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180 people hospitalised after drinking contaminated water in Kalaburagi district
Around 180 residents of Nimbarga village in Alanda taluk, Kalaburagi district, have been hospitalised after they allegedly consumed contaminated tap water over the past three days
Around 180 residents of Nimbarga village in Alanda taluk, Kalaburagi district, have been hospitalised after they allegedly consumed contaminated tap water over the past three days, Alanda Congress MLA BR Patil said on Wednesday.
“All those affected are being treated in Primary Health Centres, and the more serious cases have been shifted to Alanda and Kalaburagi government hospitals. A medical team has been deployed in the village with the necessary medicines and IV fluids. Many of those affected are suffering from vomiting and diarrhea, with children, women, and the elderly being the most vulnerable,” Patil said.
He also warned that officials responsible for the negligence would face serious consequences. “Despite being informed about the supply of muddy water for a week, no action was taken,” he added.
Kallappa Rathod, a resident of Nimbarga, said the village had been receiving muddy water for a week, and despite informing the gram panchayat president and other members, no action was taken. “Not only the officials but also the elected representatives of the panchayat should be blamed for this epidemic,” Rathod said. He added that 80 people were admitted to hospitals on Sunday, with the number rising to 180 by Tuesday evening and 185 by Wednesday.
Nimbarga gram panchayat president Rekha Chauhan confirmed that nearly every family in the village of around 500 people had been impacted by the outbreak. “Every household has at least one or two people infected with the water-borne disease,” she said.
Chauhan blamed the taluk panchayat officials for ignoring repeated complaints about the cleanliness of the water storage containers. “Despite multiple memorandums, the officials didn’t respond. Their negligence caused this epidemic, not the elected body,” she said.
She further said that over 90% of the village relies on water supplied through public taps and tanks, while the rest use their own borewells or open wells.
Responding to the allegations, Alanda tahsildar Annarao Patil said that action had been initiated against the erring staff. “All the water containers were cleaned on Wednesday, and the village is now being supplied with safe drinking water. This will continue until the situation returns to normal,” he said.
MLA Patil, after visiting the village, acknowledged the complaints of negligence and said, “I took the officials to task and instructed them to clean all the tanks. If necessary, we will install new tanks in the village.” He urged villagers to drink only boiled water to prevent further illness. “We are taking every precaution to ensure no new cases are added to the list of those infected,” Patil said.
MLA Patil also instructed Alanda taluk panchayat chief executive officer Manappa Kattimani to find a permanent solution for providing safe drinking water. “We, the elected representatives, including myself, are guilty of putting innocent lives at risk. We will correct our mistakes by ensuring the people have access to safe, clean water,” he said. He also ordered the panchayat CEO to clean all open drainage systems and maintain sanitation across the villages.
