More than 100 residents of Dhalgaon Khairi village in Saoner taluka have fallen ill following the supply of contaminated drinking water through household taps, triggering a serious public health scare in the area.
According to villagers, the main drinking water supply pipeline has been broken for the past 10 to 15 days. Despite repeated complaints, the Gram Panchayat and concerned departments failed to repair the pipeline, resulting in dirty wastewater contaminating the drinking water supply and reaching homes directly.
Initially, 10 to 12 villagers were admitted to private hospitals with complaints of stomach pain, vomiting and diarrhoea. As the situation worsened, the health department conducted a medical camp, during which 65 patients were identified on the first day and another 25 on the second day. Several others are reportedly still suffering from mild symptoms.
The incident has drawn comparisons with a recent diarrhoea outbreak in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, where polluted water reportedly led to 142 hospitalisations and six deaths.
At present, health teams are visiting households, examining patients and distributing medicines. Villagers, however, have alleged gross negligence by the local administration.
Shockingly, residents claim that the village has a water purification filter plant that has remained non-functional for the last three to four years. They also allege that water tanks and pipelines are not cleaned regularly. Due to the lack of nearby government health facilities, many poor families and farmers were forced to seek treatment at private hospitals, incurring additional expenses.
Only after the issue gained attention did the Dawakhana Aaplya Dari (Clinic at Your Doorstep) team reach the village. The administration has advised residents to consume only boiled water till January 14.
However, villagers pointed out that no senior district-level officials or elected representatives have visited the village so far. As per the Maharashtra Gram Panchayat Act and public health rules, the responsibility of supplying safe drinking water rests with the Gram Panchayat and the administration.
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