CM Siddaramaiah seeks report on water contamination in Raichur

Raichur: The district administration in Raichur, Karnataka where a toddler died and 59 people fell ill after drinking contaminated water, has taken series of stringent measures to provide safe drinking water. Contamination of water caused health issues to 34 people in Rekalmardi village and 25 people in Gorebal village.

Meanwhile, taking serious note of the reports of people getting sick after drinking contaminated water in the villages of Raichur district, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah  asked to investigate the incident and submit a report.

Chief Minister instructed the officials to take immediate steps for the proper treatment of people affected by water contamination. He directed the CEO to provide compensation to the family of the deceased.

He also instructed the officials to visit the place and conduct a comprehensive inspection, send the water samples for lab testing and get a report immediately. He also asked the officials to provide clean drinking water and close contaminated water sources.

Medical teams were sent to the affected villages and other preventive measures were taken in all parts of the district to prevent health issues due to use of contaminated water. In the past two days, no new cases have been reported. At present, 25 persons are under medical treatment in various hospitals.

Raichur Zilla Panchayat Chief Executive Officer and in-charge Deputy Commissioner Shashidhar Kurera told Deccan Chronicle that all patients are recovering and are now out of danger.

"To prevent similar instances all Panchayat Development Officers and Chief Officers have been instructed to thoroughly inspect the main water supply pipelines. If any damages found, immediate repairs are to be conducted. Officials have also been tasked to review the water sources from where drinking water is being supplied to the public. All water storage facilities will be cleaned in the next 48 hours," he said.

Recognizing that several reverse osmosis (RO) units are currently non-operational, the CEO has directed officials to take necessary action to repair and restore them.

 To maintain overall hygiene, the PDOs have been instructed to remain stationed at the headquarters, prioritizing the cleaning of drains and gutters within their respective areas.

Additionally, residents have been advised to consume only boiled and cooled water and use water only from reliable sources.