As many as 26 people complained of diarrhoea and vomiting after consuming contaminated water in the Rekamardi village in Raichur.
A screengrab from the video of villagers being provided primary treatment for water contamination at Rekalmardi village in Raichur. (file photo)
A pall of gloom descended on the Rekalmardi village in the Devadurga taluka in the Raichur district of Karnataka as a three-year-old died and 26 people fell ill due to the alleged consumption of contaminated water on Wednesday, 24 May.
The deceased has been identified as Hanumanth.
As many as 26 other residents of Rekalamaradi complained of diarrhoea and vomiting and fell ill after they consumed contaminated tap water supplied by the Jagir Jadaladinni Gram Panchayat.
The victim was treated at a community health centre (CHC) in the village on Wednesday. After undergoing treatment, the three-year-old was sent home.
The toddler’s condition deteriorated early in the morning on Thursday. He was soon rushed to the Raichur Institute of Medical Science (RIMS). However, the toddler succumbed after he failed to respond to the treatment at RIMS, claimed doctors.
Of the 26 people who fell ill, 15 are male and 11 are female. Of them, six are below the age of 10 years.
According to the District Health Officer (DHO), “All the 26 people that complained of diarrhoea and vomiting have recovered.”
The official added: “Some people are being treated at RIMS and a few at local the CHC and Primary Healthcare Centre (PHC). Fifteen people have been discharged from the hospital.”
The Devadurga Taluka Administration has launched an investigation into the incident, and collected samples of water.
It may be noted that it is not the first time lives have been lost in recent times due to water contamination in Raichur.
In 2022, at least five people were killed due to water contamination in the district headquarters.
The residents of Rekalmardi alleged that even after they reported the damage to the drinking water pipeline more than a week ago, the Gram Panchayat staff didn’t fix the pipe, and this led to the supply of contaminated water to the village for the last week.
On the outskirts of the village, a drinking water pipeline passing through a canal, where the water for agricultural purposes is supplied, was damaged.
The stagnant water in the canal, which is polluted, mixed with the drinking water in the pipeline, and this contaminated water was being supplied to the village, alleged the villagers.
Rekalmardi is located 27 km from taluka headquarters Devadurga. Around 470 people live in this village.
Mahadevappa Angadi, a resident of Rekalmradi, told South First: “We complained at least three-four times to the Panchayat Development Officer (PDO) about the damage to the drinking water pipeline. She was least bothered about repairing the damaged pipeline.”
He added: “Even the members of the Gram Panchayat are responsible for this incident. They didn’t take up this work citing that the previous work bills had not been cleared by the authorities. This is the first time such an incident has been reported in our village.”
He further said: “The entire village is dependent on this single pipeline not only for water for drinking purposes but also for domestic usage. The water is being supplied from the borewell, which is neither purified nor treated.”
Angadi continued: “There is even a drinking water purifier plant in the village, but it has not functioned for the last few months. There is a similar situation in the surrounding villages. The authorities are least bothered about ensuring clean drinking water supply to every house.”
The authorities are yet to initiate action against the officials responsible for the incident.
Tahsildar Yallappa Subedar told South First: “I have ordered an investigation into the incident. The doctors have also collected the samples and sent them to the forensic lab. We have fixed the damaged pipeline.”
He added: “We will initiate action once the report is submitted. As per the prima facie, the stagnant water that was in the canal got mixed with the damaged drinking water pipeline. The villagers have also complained against the PDO. We will initiate action once the report is submitted.”
He also said that they would provide compensation to the victim’s family.
Three-year-old Hanumanth allegedly succumbed to the contaminated drinking water at RIMS in Raichur on Thursday morning.
Basavaraj CT, the uncle of the victim, told South First: “In the entire family, three-year-old Hanumanth was the only one that fell sick due to consumption of contaminated water. We rushed to the PHC and they (health professionals) provided primary treatment to him and he was sent home.”
He added: “In the early morning on Thursday, the child again fell sick and was rushed to RIMS. The doctors couldn’t save the only child of my elder brother. All the other 26 people that fell ill have recovered, but we lost the youngest member of the family.”
He said: “At least now the authorities have to wake up and ensure the purified and treated drinking water is supplied to the village.”
DHO Dr Surendra Babu told South First: “If the parents had taken the child to the nearby PHC, the doctors could have saved the three-year-old. They brought the toddler late to the hospital. The on-duty doctors made efforts to save the child but he didn’t respond to the treatment.”
A team of health professionals have been camped at the village since the incident was reported. They collected the water samples and sent them to the forensic lab.
Babu said: “It was only 15 people that complained about diarrhoea and vomiting on Wednesday night. The next morning, 11 more people — including seven children — fell sick after reportedly consuming drinking water.”
He added: “A team of health professionals, including doctors and nurses, were rushed to the village with ambulances. We provided treatment to everyone. The situation has returned to normalcy.”
The DHO continued: “We have collected samples and sent them to the forensic lab to ascertain the cause behind the incident.”
Stating that action would be taken against the officials, Devadurga MLA Karemma G Nayak told South First: “It is not just in Rekalmardi. Water purifier plants are defunct in many villages. We will take action against the officials that are responsible for the incident.”
He added: “This incident should not have occurred. I have spoken to the victim’s family and ensured them of providing compensation as per the norms of the government. This is one of the serious issues in the taluka, I will make efforts to address it at the earliest.”
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