Residents scramble for Covid tests after taking ill due to impure water

Nagpur: Panic gripped many areas in West Nagpur after hundreds of residents from Bharat Nagar, Hindustan Colony, Pankaj Nagar and Himalaya Valley allegedly fell sick due to vomiting and diarrhoea. Fearing Covid-19 symptoms, many residents got themselves tested. Fortunately their report came negative.
“Over hundreds of residents allegedly fell sick due to contaminated water being supplied to the locality. Doctors from the area too confirmed rise in cases of vomiting and diarrhoea. Residents have been receiving contaminated water since last 10-12 days, the Orange City Water has collected the water samples,” said local corporator Varsha Thakre.
Due to contaminated water, around 20 families in Himalaya Valley suffered from constipation, diarrhoea, vomiting and stomach pain in last 10-12 days. Chartered accountant Piyush Daga, a resident of Himalaya Valley, said, “Due to impure water, my mother got so sick that doctor advised her to get tested for Covid-19, which came negative though.”
Another woman resident of the society too was advised to go for Covid-19 test, after she developed constipation and fever. “Thankfully my antigen and RT-PCR tests came negative. A peculiar smell emanated from the drinking water as a result of which my two kids got diarrhoea,” she said.
Pankaj Nagar resident Rohit Pagare said, “Two members of my family are suffering from diarrhoea for last one week.”
Thakre said, “I visited several houses but didn’t find the water muddy or stinking. OCW had collected sample on Monday and the first report says there was no bacteria in it. Still, some more tests need to be done to ascertain why so many people fell sick.”
A team of OCW and NMC visited the area on Tuesday. An accompanying NMC engineer said, “Major reason is internal contamination due to uncleaned sump of society since long. But we will also check the quality of water at distribution main.”
But many residents countered the point by saying, “That’s the case of just one society. What about those from Pankaj Nagar, Bharat Nagar, Hindustan Colony falling sick?”
Report from fresh samples will make the picture clear.