15 villagers of Kollegal fall ill due to water 'contamination'

Mysuru, NT Bureau: As many as 15 villagers have taken ill after developing symptoms of vomiting and diarrhea in Kollegal’s Madhuvanahalli in Chamarajanagar district due to alleged water contamination for the last three days.

All the villagers are from a dalit colony in Madhuvanalli in Kollegal taluk. People who fell ill underwent treatment for vomiting and diarrhea at several hospitals like the local primary health centre, Kollegal sub division public hospital and other hospitals.

Two of them are still availing treatment at the taluk hospital and Chamarajanagar Institute of Medical Sciences Hospital in Chamarajanagar, according to taluk administration officials.

Madhuvanahalli Primary Health Centre Medical Officer Arun Rate said that a door to door awareness programme has been taken up in the village following this incident and advised people to drink boiled water, maintain cleanliness, give importance to hygiene and utilise ORS and other sachets distributed in the village.

Madhuvanahalli Panchayat Development officer Usharani said that her department staff have collected water samples of the borewell water and sent it to the laboratories for testing. The exact reason for water contamination will be known after the laboratory reports are received.

As per the directions from higher-ups, borewell drinking water supply has been disconnected temporarily. As the work on providing water from Cauvery river is under progress, Madhuvanahalli villagers will get piped Cauvery water connections once the project works are completed, she said.

The DHO confirmed that except for four villagers among the 15 affected, the others hae been discharged and sent home.