Maharashtra: Supply water to Vadad from today, ZP CEO tells official

YAVATMAL: Zilla Parishad (ZP) chief executive officer (CEO) Shrikrishna Panchal on Friday ordered the executive engineer of ZP water supply department Pradip Kolhe to make arrangement for supplying water to Vadad (Brahmi) village and Sevadas Nagar in Pusad assembly constituency from Sunday if the RO machines are not repaired in a couple of days.
The CEO, who has taken cognizane of TOI report on deaths in Vada due to kidney ailments caused by drinking contaminated water, held a review meeting with the officers concerned on Friday. The CEO has already sought explanations from officers and sent a team of doctors to the village. He also instructed Kolhe to supply water under Jal Jeevan Mission.
Village Sarpanch Swati Padghan reiterated that 42 persons have died so far while more than 100 are suffering from kidney ailments. However, in a report submitted to the CEO, district health officer (DHO) Dr Pralhad Chavan has stated that there were 12 deaths while five persons are undergoing treatment for kidney ailments.
The CEO has ratified that the two RO machines are lying defunct for the last two years despite a sum of Rs6 lakh being given for repairs.
The DHO has claimed that water samples were collected every six months and examined for its chemical content. He said that the fluoride presence is satisfactory. On the contrary, the CEO has confirmed that the TDS level of water, which should be less than 100, is over 240 making it unsuitable for human consumption. “Hereafter, there will be regular examination of water samples from all water sources in the villages,” he said.
The villagers told TOI on phone that the DHO has submitted fake report to misguide the CEO.
Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana district chief Manish Jadhav again demanded filing FIR for culpable homicide against the ZP officers and employees concerned.