Drinking water is getting mixed with sewage water, which is overflowing due to a clog, leading to outbreak: BBMP officials.
After 30 people were admitted to hospitals for vomiting, stomach ache and diarrhoea due water contamination in an Okalipuram slum, Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) officials found out the source of contamination on Wednesday.
Most patients were admitted to Lakshmi Nursing Home where they were treated by Dr Annamalai who told DNA that there was water contamination in the area which made residents sick.
BBMP and Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) officials visited the spot and confirmed that drinking water is getting mixed with sewage water which is overflowing due to a clog.
“Drainage water is stagnating in first, second and fifth main roads, and seeping into a drinking water pipeline. Residents have been drinking this water which has led to the outbreak,” said Dr Devaki Umesh, medical officer (west), BBMP. Meanwhile, BBMP has written a letter to BWSSB officials to take action to clean the water and increase chlorine level.
However, Dr Devaki said: “Simply increasing chlorine levels is not enough as pipelines in the area need to be replaced immediately. Permissible limits of chlorine in water is 0.1 parts per million (PPM).
“However, during summer we can raise it up to 0.2 PPM. These pipelines should be replaced in September or October so that they are ready by February or March when such outbreaks take place.”
BBMP officials have also given oral rehydration salts (ORS) packets to residents along with precautionary tetracycline tablets which can be taken when they suffer from stomach ache or diarrhoea.
“This will arrest vomiting and diarrhoea and also kill the bacteria which cause them. We have also told residents to use boiled water for drinking or cooking purposes,” Dr Devaki said.
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