The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : People advised against buying water from private suppliers

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Tuesday, Feb 05, 2008
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

People advised against buying water from private suppliers

S. Rajendran

35 joint monitoring committees set up as a first step

Number of patients went up following rumours that compensation will be given
Of the five cholera cases, none is from the Bharathinagar area

BANGALORE: The Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike and the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board acting on the directions of the State Government have constituted joint monitoring committees to maintain a close surveillance on infectious diseases, particularly cholera and gastro-enteritis.

Meanwhile, BBMP has appealed to the people to refrain from purchasing water from private suppliers and that super-chlorinated water was being made available to all consumers as a matter of abundant precaution.

A high-level meeting, chaired by S. Krishnakumar and P.P. Prabhu, advisors to Governor Rameshwar Thakur, was held here two days ago to take stock of the growing incidence of some infectious diseases and the ways and means of tackling the problem.

Among the others who attended the meeting were the Commissioner of the BBMP, S. Subramanya, and the Chairman of the BWSSB, Latha Krishna Rao, apart from senior officials of the Department of Health and Family Welfare and the Chief Health Officer of the BBMP.

The Government apparently alarmed by the high incidence of cases of gastroenteritis and also some cases of cholera has directed the authorities to take action against unauthorised water supply connections which have been identified as one of the main causes for gastroenteritis and cholera. Directions have also been issued to remove all unauthorised water supply lines apart from taking action against the owners of houses who had obtained such connections and the officials of the BBMP and the BWSSB who had facilitated such connections.

The Commissioner of the BBMP and the Chairman of the BWSSB as a first step have constituted 35 joint monitoring committees. Each monitoring committee would comprise the health officers of the BBMP of the jurisdiction apart from the executive engineer of the BWSSB and the executive engineer of the BBMP.

Sources told The Hindu that the incidence of cholera and gastroenteritis had dropped on Monday after the authorities issued a statement that the victims would not be eligible for any compensation.

“Rumours were set afloat in certain pockets of the city by some political leaders that the victims would be paid a compensation of Rs. 1,000 each.

“This possibly triggered the sudden increase in the arrival of ‘patients’ to hospitals, particularly in the Bharathinagar area.

“Compared to 21 cases reported on Saturday, only one case was reported on Monday. Of the five confirmed cases of cholera in Bangalore, none is from Bharathinagar. One case was reported from Neelasandra, one from Cox Town-Jeevanahalli, one from Shivajinagar, one from Dooravaninagar and another at Hoskote,” they said.

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