Two die in Hyderabad of suspected water contamination

HYDERABAD: Two people, including a pregnant woman, died and several others became ill after drinking water that is suspected to be contaminated in Moghal Colony, Mailardevpally, but Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWS&SB) denied allegations that contaminated water caused the deaths.

The victims were identified as Afreen Sultana, 26, who was five months pregnant, and Mohammad Qaisar, 28, a migrant labourer from Bihar who was hospitalised for a week. Both of whom died on Wednesday.  Following a preliminary investigation, the water board determined that there was no water contamination, while health department officials stated that they will conduct their own investigation. The police have not opened an investigation into the incident, and doctors have not yet determined the cause of death. "We have not received any complaint," said Mailardevpally Station House Officer P. Madhu, who visited the victims' home in Moghal colony on Wednesday evening. “Water board officials arrived on the scene and conducted a test on the allegedly contaminated water in front of the residents. The test results revealed nothing suspicious," the official stated.

HMWS&SB general manager (Rajendranagar division) C. Chandrashekar stated that preliminary testing revealed that there was no problem with the water, while the deaths could have been caused for other reasons. "They were not even consuming water supplied by the water board,” said the official. He denied that videos circulating on social media alleging that locals were receiving contaminated water were true. Water samples were sent to the Quality Assurance and Testing (QATO lab for additional testing.

According to a Water Board source, rumours of water contamination being to blame for the deaths and illnesses were politically motivated. Locals, however, claim that there was no water supply for 10 days, and that it only resumed on Wednesday, and had got mixed with contaminated water. They claim that the water they received on Wednesday morning was “visibly contaminated”, resulting in two deaths and five others falling ill.

Rangareddy District Medical & Health Officer (DM&HO) B. Venkateshwara Rao stated that the cause of the incident was unknown, and that water samples would be sent to a lab for testing. He stated that those who became ill were suffering from minor symptoms such as diarrhoea and were being treated. Meanwhile, the water board in an official statement said water supplied through pipelines at the deceased's home as well as neighbouring homes was collected and tested and found to be safe and pathogen-free. Earlier, on December 8, routine tests revealed no bacterial contamination. “When we inquired about the details of the victims who were being treated in the two hospitals as reported by some media, it was learnt that no persons were being treated in those hospitals either by those names or for those reasons,” added the statement.

The water board urged the public not to believe rumours and that the water it supplies goes through a three-step purification process. Further, water board officials said they will register a police case against those spreading rumours, and that a more thorough investigation into the incident is underway.