Visakhapatnam:One more person, a 75-year-old woman, died due to diarrhoea in Gurla mandal headquarters of Vizianagaram district on Friday, taking the death toll to six. Further, six new cases of diarrhoea have been reported from the region.
Vizianagaram collector Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, who extensively toured Gurla village along with health officials, told reporters that the situation is now fully under control. Supply of water through pipes has been completely stopped. Residents have been told to collect water from tankers, which are bringing clean water from Nagavali River for the past four days.
The collector said all the 277 borewells in the region are just 15 feet deep, due which polluted water from drains is seeping into them. “It is the borewell water, which has led to the outbreak of diarrhoea in the village,” he underlined.
Explaining to media the safety measures being undertaken, Ambedkar said bleaching powder has been sprayed twice at every place in the village. A survey is being conducted twice in a day at every house to detect new patients. One ANM has been appointed for every 20 houses to provide immediate succour to patients.
Gurla village has 975 houses and a population of 2,700. “Other than Gurla, no other village has been affected by diarrhoea in the mandal,” the collector maintained.
Answering a question, he said only one additional death has been due to diarrhoea. Others deaths are owing to diseases other than diarrhoea. He pointed out that 75-year-old Suramma died on Friday evening due to starvation and dehydration. After being discharged from the medical camp on Wednesday, she did not eat anything. She died as a result. One person died after consuming alcohol non-stop after being discharged from the hospital. Three more died due to co-morbid diseases and two due to kidney failure.
Eyewitnesses say Gurla village is completely deserted. Many have left the village. Others are remaining indoors. Children were not going to school. All shops in the village have remained shut since October 14, when the first death occurred.
