Diarrhoea Outbreak: Over 90 People Fall Sick In Lucknow After Contaminated Water Supply, Probe Underway

A contaminated water supply in the Fatehpur area of the Aliganj sector of Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh has led to a sudden diarrhoea outbreak resulting in over 90 persons falling ill. As per the latest development, the number of hospitalised people has risen to eight after two more were admitted after complaining of loose motions and nausea.

The outbreak had already claimed the life of a year-old child on Monday, July 4, while another death, suspected to be due to the same reason, was reported on Wednesday, July 6.

However, the Chief Medical Officer's (CMO) office refuted the claims that the deaths were caused due to diarrhoea and said that a probe was underway to determine the exact cause.

Contaminated Water Was Being Supplied For Over A Week

The residents in the Fatehpur area have alleged that the contaminated water was being supplied for over a week.

Sangeeta Lodhi, 24, who lost her a-year-old baby, said that the infant had been suffering from diarrhoea for the last five- to six days. She said, "On Sunday, my daughter's condition deteriorated. She was rushed to the hospital but died on the way," reported National Herald.

Dr Milind Vardhan, Additional Chief Medical Officer, refuted the claims that both the deaths were caused due to the same reason and said, "The symptoms of the infant who died were of diarrhoea, but as far as the other person is concerned, he died due to several comorbid conditions including respiratory problem. His condition was critical for the past 15 days, and he died at home. Hence, it cannot be said that he also died from diarrhoea."

The officials informed that they took samples of stored water which prima facie appeared to be contaminated. Further, the officials said that they are still looking for the cause of water contamination.

Probe Underway

Jal Sansthan received a complaint of supply water being contaminated on the phone on Tuesday, July 5. Soon after, the team of officials visited the Fatehpur area.

Ram Kailash, Acting General Manager of Jal Sansthan, said that if any of the employees of Jal Sansthan are found guilty of providing poor-quality water, action will be taken against them for sure. Kailash also added that no laxity in the treatment of potable water would be accepted, reported Hindustan Times.

Kailash assured that the department would monitor water quality in the morning and the evening daily for the next few days. He added that till now, their tests have proven that the water supplied by their department is not responsible for the spread of the disease in the area.

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