BAGALKOT: Two aged people died and about 94 people have fallen ill in the last four days, four of them critically, after drinking contaminated water in Ramadurga taluk. All are being treated at the Bagalkot district hospital and nearby Primary Health Centre.
Seventy-year-old Shivappa, a resident of Mudenur village, was admitted to the Ramadurga taluk hospital and then referred to a private hospital in Bagalkot where he died died without responding to treatment on October 23.
On Thursday , Saraswati Ningappa Havali (70) of the same village too died. People claim that sewage water is getting mixed with drinking water through broken pipes.
All the 94 infected people are from Basavanna Deva Gudi street, Lakkammadevi Gudi street and Beeradevara Gudi street in Mudenur village. Of them, 44 are men, 30 are women, 12 are boys, and 8 are girls.
Patients are being treated at Batakurki Primary Health Centre, Ramadurga Taluk Hospital and private hospitals. Many patients have complained of vomiting, stomachache and diarrhoea.
Ramadurga BJP MLA Mahadevappa Yadawad visited Mudenur village and instructed the health officials to provide proper medical arrangements for those admitted to hospitals.
Nachiket, a resident of Mudenur village, claimed that not a single physician is available at the district hospital for availing treatment. “More than 200 villagers were affected after drinking the dirty water. People are suffering from vomiting and severe stomachaches. No one is cured even after the treatment”, he said.
Following the deaths, the Health Department officials are now conducting health checks on all the villagers in Mudenur and those with any symptoms are being sent to hospital. On Thursday, 45 more people were admitted to hospital for treatment.
District Health Officer Dr Mahesh Koni, Tahsildar Mallikarjun Heggannavar and a team of 33 officials are camping in the village.