Waterborne diseases are on the rise

Statistics provided by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) health department shows a considerable rise in deaths related to water-borne ailments and gastroenteritis. As many as 49 waterborne fever-related deaths and eight gastroenteritis deaths were reported this monsoon.

Last year, the toll stood at 21, which included three deaths due to gastroenteritis. Even though the BMC health officials are refusing to accept that all these cases were due to contamination of water, a recent environment status report published by the civic body found that 12.5% of drinking water samples in Mumbai were contaminated.

The report also found traces of the pathogenic bacteria — E-coli — in many samples. Incidence of cholera and acute diarrhoea in parts of South Mumbai also pointed to water
contamination.

As compared to 17,152 fever cases during the last year’s monsoon, the department has recorded 19,890 cases this time. Gastroenteritis cases have shot up from 3,943 last year to 5,000 this year, nearly 27%.

The most deadly of diseases has been malaria, which has claimed 80 people so far this year. Last year, the toll till September was around 78. Jayaraj Thanekar, BMC’s executive health officer, said that 23,000 malaria cases were detected during the civic body’s surveillance program. Of these, 6,484 were admitted to hospitals.

However, dengue and leptospirosis have been less deadly this year.