At least four persons lost their lives and 39 others in Nai Gram Panchayat of tribal belt in Udaipur district were taken ill after drinking suspected contaminated water, which they fetch from ‘Beri’ (water collected in a feet deep from catchment) since Saturday night, a senior medical officer said on Monday.
The deceased included one aged person, one minor boy, one minor girl, and a young boy, Udaipur CMHO Dr Ashok Aditya Yadav told The Statesman when contacted today.
Seriously ill patients were rushed to the Community Health Centre of Nai Dhani on Saturday night. Yesterday they were admitted to Udaipur’s MB Hospital, CHC Head Dr B L Meena, who is monitoring the situation, said.
“The post-mortem examination of bodies was done and viscera samples were sent to the forensic lab. Water samples have been sent to PHED for laboratory tests,” said Dr Meena.
Nai Dhani under Popalti village has composite houses of about 45 families who used to live their tribal life and they drink water collected from Beri, but unfortunately the water got probably contaminated due some faecal matter or some coli bacteria causing vomiting and diarrhea, said Dr Meena.
Five teams of the Medical Department are monitoring the village. The victims are being treated in every possible way. So far, 225 houses in adjoining Dhani have also been surveyed.
The Medical Department has examined 1575 people so far. Now water is being supplied to every house in the village through campers.
On receiving information about other people falling ill in the village, Udaipur District Collector Arvind Poswal and Udaipur Rural MLA Phool Singh Meena reached the spot on Sunday and took information about the incident and consoled the affected families.