Prof. A. Ramalingam, Dr. Ajay Memorial Drinking Water Foundation and Venkatesh Chabbi, Members, Mysore Grahakara Parishat write
The epidemic which swept through Manjunathapura and which was caused by contaminated tap water has received wide coverage in the media. Raw water pumped from Belagola is being supplied to several factories, institutions, villages and colonies along the way. Persons who consume this water are at extremely high health risk.
When members of Dr. Ajay Foundation and MGP visited Manjunathapura yesterday, it was found that many of the patients were suffering from typhoid. Normally, contaminated water produces many cases of gastro-intestinal diseases (such as cholera) and less number of typhoid cases. Here, the number of typhoid cases seems quite high.
Dr. Ajay Foundation and MGP have interviewed employees of many factories and the two major colonies, Ekalavya Nagar and Manjunathapura which are supplied with raw water. It appears that they drink the raw water supplied, without any processing. It was found that many of them suffer from sore throat, diarrhoea, jaundice, etc.
Only some factories such as WIPRO and J.K.Tyres and institutions such as G.S.S. Samsthe provide potable water to their people. But even they are exposed to contaminated water when they eat at neighbouring roadside eateries.
Dr. Ajay Foundation and MGP have been asking VVWW for more than a year to stop supplying raw water. They have repeatedly warned VVWW that the situation is tailor-made for the outbreak of an epidemic. But VVWW has not shown great urgency about this danger.
It is essential that from now on at least, VVWW should stop supplying raw water to factories, institutions, villages and colonies. It is also imperative that all factories supply potable water to their employees.
The epidemic which swept through Manjunathapura and which was caused by contaminated tap water has received wide coverage in the media. Raw water pumped from Belagola is being supplied to several factories, institutions, villages and colonies along the way. Persons who consume this water are at extremely high health risk.
When members of Dr. Ajay Foundation and MGP visited Manjunathapura yesterday, it was found that many of the patients were suffering from typhoid. Normally, contaminated water produces many cases of gastro-intestinal diseases (such as cholera) and less number of typhoid cases. Here, the number of typhoid cases seems quite high.
Dr. Ajay Foundation and MGP have interviewed employees of many factories and the two major colonies, Ekalavya Nagar and Manjunathapura which are supplied with raw water. It appears that they drink the raw water supplied, without any processing. It was found that many of them suffer from sore throat, diarrhoea, jaundice, etc.
Only some factories such as WIPRO and J.K.Tyres and institutions such as G.S.S. Samsthe provide potable water to their people. But even they are exposed to contaminated water when they eat at neighbouring roadside eateries.
Dr. Ajay Foundation and MGP have been asking VVWW for more than a year to stop supplying raw water. They have repeatedly warned VVWW that the situation is tailor-made for the outbreak of an epidemic. But VVWW has not shown great urgency about this danger.
It is essential that from now on at least, VVWW should stop supplying raw water to factories, institutions, villages and colonies. It is also imperative that all factories supply potable water to their employees.