'Poison' rumour creates panic in capital

By Our Staff Reporter

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, DEC. 13. A rumour that the city's piped drinking water had been poisoned spread panic and confusion among the city residents this afternoon.

As the `poison' rumour spread, it took on variations. Some had it that poison had been thrown into the Aruvikkara dam, others spoke of a snake that was found inside a KWA reservoir in the city, yet others spoke of how some people had `fainted' and had `vomitted' after drinking pipe water in various parts of the city.

Even as the rumours spread, the KWA top brass rushed to Kallayam, where the rumours had originated following the discovery of the remains of a snake that came out of a water tap at a house in the area. As an extra measure of safety, distribution of water from the Kallayam tank was stopped and the tank super-chlorinated. Various equipment used for filtration and distribution of water were also sanitised. The Kallayam tank is one that is part of the Karakulam rural water supply scheme. The officials inspected the premises of the house, including the well there, as part of the efforts to find out where exactly the snake's remains had come from.

Newspaper offices in the city too were kept busy answering calls from frantic citizens who wanted to know the truth of the matter. Such calls also brought in reports that announcements were being made from some vehicles plying in different parts of the city that the pipe water had been poisoned and that people should desist from drinking it.

Harried KWA officials kept on asserting that the city's drinking water was clean and safe. However, this did not prevent some people from taking samples of water from the Sasthamangalam reservoir for a chemical analysis.

Later in the evening, jeeps of the Flying Squads went round the city making announcements that the city's drinking water was safe.

The KWA MD, Mr. Balachandran Nair, when contacted, expressed dismay at the spreading of such rumours by some people and added that an organisation such as the KWA can never function without public trust and support. A press note issued by the KWA said the Authority has requested the city police commissioner to initiate action against those who are said to have gone round the city making announcements about the ``poisoned'' water.

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Section  : Southern States
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