Southern States - Andhra Pradesh   

Diarrhoea death puts officials on toes

By Our Staff Reporter

KURNOOL July 15. The district administration swung into action to contain the cases of diarrhoea in isolated villages across the district. Addressing a press conference here on Tuesday, the Collector, Ajay Jain, said diarrhoea broke out in Kondapuram (C. Belagal mandal), Velpanur (Velugodu), Nalakadoddi (Pathionda), Kosigi and Narayanapuram (Bandi Atmakur).

A 12-year-old girl, Rashida Bi, died on Tuesday due to delayed medical aid. The local doctor who attended on her, advised her parents to take her to Nandyal but they could not shift her. The administration fixed the responsibility from the Government side on the village secretary, Srinivasulu, who was not present in the village. The Collector said village secretaries had been directed to take initiative to save lives and even spend some amount, which would be reimbursed.

Similarly, secretaries at Kosigi and Nalakadoddi, Eswar Swamy and P. Seetharamireddy, who were not present in their villages when the crisis arose, would be placed under suspension. In Kondapuram and Velpanur, water contamination was found to be the reason for the outbreak of diarrhoea. Villagers collected water from the abandoned borewell after the protected water schemes failed in the village. The Collector said the source was closed immediately.

At Nalakadoddi, villagers consumed water from an agriculture well, which was contaminated because of rains. He said a series of measures were taken to control the outbreak of epidemics as well as the diseases caused by mosquito bite. Every panchayat was being supplied chlorometer to ensure right amounts of chemicals in drinking water, one bag of bleaching powder and bytex to control mosquitoes. Since the individual panchayats found it difficult to buy the equipment and chemicals, they were being procured in bulk and were being distributed to the panchayats immediately.

Mr. Jain said the Government had released Rs. 25 lakhs for sanitation in the district. After purchasing the materials and chemicals, the remaining amounts would be kept with panchayats and other institutions to meet any emergency. Sarpanches were empowered to draw the amounts to meet emergencies. Besides panchayats secretaries, show cause notices were being issued to sarpanches also. Panchayats were expected to undertake sanitation operations in a big way. In urban areas, municipalities were asked to deal with the situations. Besides sanitation, culling of pigs was ordered in the towns. The Collector appealed to pig owners to shift the animals from towns and said no sympathy would be shown since precious human lives were at stake.

He said action was likely to be taken against the DMHO, Chandrasekharam, who was accused of failing to rise to the occasion. A report was sent to the health secretary asking for his shifting. He said public representatives at the Zilla Parishad meeting today were also angry with his style of functioning.

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