Chennai: 2 dead, 19 hospitalised due to suspected water contamination in Pallavaram

Residents of Chennai's Pallavaram claimed that drinking water in their locality was contaminated after sewage mixed with it during the recent rains

At least two persons died and 19 others are undergoing treatment at a government hospital in Chennai's Pallavaram, allegedly due to suspected drinking water contamination, PTI reported.

Commuters wade through a waterlogged road following heavy rainfall triggered by Cyclone Fengal, in Chennai on Saturday.

Tamil Nadu's health minister Ma Subramanian visited the hospital and consoled the patients.

The minister said that water samples have been sent to the King Institute of Preventive Medicine and Research in Guindy for detailed analysis.

The exact cause of death will be determined after the post-mortem results are available, he was quoted by PTI as saying.

The deceased have been identified as 56-year-old Tiruveethi and 42-year-old Mohanarangam. According to the hospital, Mohanarangam was brought dead.

Residents claim drinking water mixed with sewage

According to the PTI report, residents of the area claimed that drinking water in their locality was contaminated after sewage mixed with it during the recent rains.

Tamil Nadu's medium, small and micro enterprises (MSE) minister T M Anbarasan, who visited the hospital to console the patients, dismissed water contamination as the cause and suggested that food poisoning might be responsible for the illnesses.

Residents of Kamaraj Nagar and Manalmedu in Pallavaram have been flocking to the government hospital in Tambaram with symptoms of vomiting and diarrhoea over the past three days.

A total of 34 individuals were admitted during this period, with 14 discharged and 19 currently receiving treatment, the minister added.

According to an estimate by the Tamil Nadu government, Cyclone ‘Fengal’ caused unprecedented devastation in 14 districts, extensively damaging roads, electricity lines and causing heavy inundation. The sudden deluge not only inundated vast areas but also displaced the population and severely impacted the infrastructure.

“The catastrophic event resulted in the loss of 12 human lives, 2,416 huts, 721 houses and 963 cattle. Widespread damage was also caused to agriculture and horticulture crop and irrigation systems,” the state government said.