Water contamination case: Water to be supplied through tankers to Muttagi village

In the wake of several people from Muttagi village in Kalaghatagi taluk of Dharwad district being hospitalised with complaints of vomiting and diarrhoea, the district administration has made arrangements for the supply of drinking water through tankers to the village.

In the wake of several people from Muttagi village in Kalaghatagi taluk of Dharwad district being hospitalised with complaints of vomiting and diarrhoea, the district administration has made arrangements for the supply of drinking water through tankers to the village.

Deputy Commissioner of Dharwad Divya Prabhu G.R.J., who visited the village on Friday, asked the residents to drink boiled water and told them that the requisite of stock of medicine was being maintained as a precautionary measure. She said that according to preliminary inquiries, it had come to light that contaminated water had gotten mixed with the drinking water supplied through borewells in the village and to add to this, the water stored in the overhead tank was supplied without chlorination.

Chief Executive Officer of Dharwad Zilla Panchayat Swaroopa T.K. also visited the village and inspected the borewell from which water was supplied, the primary health centre, and the areas from where the cases of contaminated were reported.

In all, 46 people including 18 men, 18 women and ten children were affected by vomiting and diarrhoea because of consumption of contaminated water on Thursday. While seven got discharged from Kalaghatagi Taluk Hospital on Friday, seven more with similar complaints were admitted during the day.  Twelve persons who were severely ill are being treated at KIMS Hospital in Hubballi. Following the incident, a team of two health officers and seven health staff are camping in Muttagi village and three ambulances have been stationed in the village.

Meanwhile, the Panchayat Development Officer (PDO) of Muttagi Gram Panchayat in Kalaghatagi taluk Praveenkumar Gani has been suspended on charges of dereliction of duty. 

Ms. Swaroopa T.K. issued the order suspending Mr. Gani after villagers complained that the PDO did not act on their complaint regarding contaminated water.