GUNTUR: Some one hundred residents of the Nallacheruvu area in Guntur city are down with some unknown fever and four of them have died in the past one-week. The latest victim was S.M. Jani, 60, who died on Wednesday but neither the Municipal Corporation nor the District Medical and Health Office seemed to be aware of the gravity of the situation.

The three persons, who died from the colony, were allegedly given treatment for malaria at Government General Hospital.

A visit to the Nallacheruvu area revealed that in each and every street two or three families were down with such fevers. Initially they had bodyache along with fever and later they got bed-ridden with joint pain.

When people contacted District Medical and Health Officials they reportedly said such health emergencies came under the purview of the Municipal Health Officer.

The municipal authorities initially denied it was their responsibility but later the Municipal Commissioner decided to organise a medical camp at Nallacheruvu to screen people. The three other victims are: Syed Meera, 15, Sheik Salim, 45, and Tammineni Sivaram, 40.

Pathetic plight

Syed Meera's father died only 10 months ago. The family is deprived of both its bread-earners and family members working as daily labourers and domestic help are not being permitted to work. Local tradition does not allow them to work for three months.

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